High School Life
by JC-zala
Summary: High School marks a new beginning for students, the start of romance and friendship. Find out how the Gundam SEED characters spend their average high school life. Pair: AsuCaga, KirLac, ShinStel.
1. New Guys

JC: Imagine the cast of Gundam SEED as regular high school students. High school usually marks the start of romance and deeper friendship. Let's see how the Gundam SEED characters will lead their average student life. There would be certain twists along the way. I do hope you enjoy reading this. Please review in the end, okay?

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed. All rights belong to Sunrise.

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**High School Life**

Phase 01: New Guys

The bell had just rung and all the students rushed towards their respective classrooms in Minerva High School. In Class 1-D, a blonde girl with sharp amber-colored eyes was seated next to the window on the third row. Her name was Cagalli Yula Athha, also known as the Goddess of Victory by most of the students. Why was she called that? Since she was good at sports, she always joined competitions to represent their school and she would win the gold several times. She was only a member of the Running Club, but every sports club wanted to get their hands on her. That didn't bother her at all since she liked to do all those things.

The gentle-looking girl seated right next to her was her best friend, Lacus Clyne, the Pink Princess. Lacus was the campus heartthrob and the school's number one singer. She had the voice of an angel and the beauty of a goddess. Every guy would want her for a girlfriend. Too bad, though, Lacus was not interested in boys for now.

After class, Lacus and Cagalli went to an ice cream parlor for some deserts. Cagalli ordered a double scoop of chocolate ice cream, while Lacus went for the strawberry flavor. Their ice creams sounded delicious.

Cagalli glanced at her notes to see if they had homework to do. She sighed since she spotted one. It was to solve Math problems. Cagalli hated Math—even though she managed to get good grades with that subject. Lacus never considered Math as a boring subject. Sure it was hard sometimes, but it can be fun for her.

The blonde finished the ice cream first. She ate it so fast that it gave her a brain freeze. She held her head for a moment.

Lacus giggled a bit at her reaction. She did tell Cagalli to eat it slowly, but she didn't listen.

Cagalli lowered her head until the pain went away. She then placed the notes back inside her backpack. "Hey, I have to go now," she said.

Lacus nodded and waved a hand at her. "All right… Don't run into trouble, okay?"

"I'll try to stay out of trouble if I can," Cagalli said with a shrug. As she left the ice cream parlor, she suddenly saw a mechanical bird past by her rather quickly. It almost hit her on the face. As the bird flew away, Cagalli ran after it. The mechanical bird led her to the park, and strangely the park was empty. Not even a single child was playing on the swings nor there was a couple dating. She wandered around the place and came across a sign near the slide. It was saying that the park's closed. The government was planning to build a new office building on that spot. _Too bad… I really liked coming here before…_

She turned around and saw a guy with brown hair leaning against a tree. He was wearing a white polo shirt and dark blue pants. The mechanical bird that she was chasing a while ago was perched on the guy's shoulder. Curious about the bird, she approached him slowly. The moment the guy made eye contact with her, she stopped. She then noticed that he had amethyst-colored eyes. By staring at his eyes, she could sense something from him. An unexplainable feeling rolling in her heart as if she knows him but she hasn't seen him before in her life, she felt a strong connection with that person. Cagalli took a deep breath. She wanted to befriend him for some reason, so she approached him. She smiled and greeted him. "Hi! I'm Cagalli Yula Athha. I was kinda following your bird a while ago. I was curious."

"I see… This little guy's name is Tori," he replied.

Cagalli somehow felt relieved to hear his voice. She thought he was the anti-social type. The type who doesn't want to talk to anybody and prefers to be left alone, but she was totally wrong. Lacus once told her not to judge a book by its cover and she was right. She looked at the bird and she badly wanted to hold it in her palm. The guy handed Tori over to Cagalli, and it hopped onto her palm. Tori was so cute and adorable. She patted it on the head. Truthfully, she wanted to hug it, but she figured that she would break it if she did that. "This is well-made. Where did you get it?" Cagalli asked.

"I didn't buy it," he replied. "A friend made it for me."

"You're friend must be talented in building machines," Cagalli said.

"He is," he told her. "By the way I'm Kira Yamato."

"Well then, Kira, it's nice to meet you," she said. "I'm Cagalli Yula Athha."

"Nice meeting you too, Cagalli," Kira said.

Meanwhile, Lacus was at the grocery store running errands for her aunt. When she got everything she needed, she paid for the stuff and exited the sore. That was when she saw Fllay Alster with her friends, Sally and Mica. She didn't want them to see her, but Sally spotted her before she tried to hide behind a post. Sadly, she sighed and faced them.

"If it isn't Lacus Clyne… the pink-princess," Fllay said. "What are you doing? Running errands again…"

"Yes, I'm doing this for my aunt," Lacus told her.

"I don't understand it… You're rich but you're doing errands?" Mica said.

"I just want to help out. Even if you're rich, it doesn't mean you can't do stuff like this anymore," Lacus told them.

"You're pathetic Clyne," Fllay said. "Let's go girls."

Fllay bumped into Lacus' shoulder which caused her to drop the grocery bag. All the contents got scattered on the ground. Fllay and her friends laughed out loudly at her.

Lacus fell to her knees and wanted to cry. But she knew if she would cry, Fllay and her friends would mock her even more. So, she stayed strong. She started picking up the stuff and placing them back into the bag. When she was about to grab the apple, another hand reached for it. She glanced at the owner's face. It was a girl with crimson red hair and emerald green eyes. The girl smiled at Lacus and helped her with the stuff. Lacus thanked the girl for the help she did and gladly introduced herself. "My name is Lacus Clyne, and you are…" Lacus said.

"I'm Jean Corda, and you're very welcome, pink-princess," Jean replied.

"Huh? How did you?" Lacus asked.

"Um… I'm from your school too… I belong in Class 1-B," Jean told her.

Lacus shook hands with her newly found friend. As payment for helping her, she invited Jean over to her mansion. She liked inviting friends over and she felt that Jean was a nice girl. As soon as they were in the mansion, Lacus showed Jean her huge bedroom, which was enermous.

The red-haired girl thought of Lacus as a very lucky person. She was beautiful, smart, and very rich. Well, too many, Lacus seemed to be the luckiest girl in the world. However, Lacus stated that she was like a caged bird. All the rich and luxury never seemed to bring happiness to her. As a child, she would always stay at home and do nothing. Sadness almost swallowed her fragile heart until a light of hope came into her life. That light was Cagalli, her best friend. Through Cagalli, she made many friends and tried out new things. She was forever grateful to the blonde girl.

Jean noticed Lacus spacing out, while she was wandering around the room. She waved her hand in front of Lacus' face which snapped her back to reality. "You okay?" Jean asked.

"Yes, I'm fine. Do you want something to eat?" Lacus asked her.

"I don't know… Is it okay with you?" Jean said.

"Don't worry we have lots of food," Lacus assured.

_Next day in School_

Cagalli was waiting for Lacus at the school gate. She glanced at her watch and noticed that there was only fifteen minutes left before class will start. She looked around to see if somebody was coming. Asagi Caldwell suddenly appeared in front of Cagalli and took a picture of her. The flash from the camera hurt Cagalli's eyes a little, and she quickly rubbed her eyes. As she removed her hands from her eyes, Asagi showed Cagalli the new camera she bought. Cagalli gently pushed the camera away from her face and shoved a fist at Asagi's face.

"I'm sorry about that Cagalli," Asagi said, sticking out her tongue playfully. "I thought you would be used to it by now."

"How many times did I tell you not to do that?" Cagalli asked, narrowing her gaze at Asagi.

"Let's see about 35 times already," Asagi answered teasingly.

Cagalli slammed her forehead and sighed. Her friend Asagi, the head of the school's Journalism Club, was also an official photographer of the school. Normally, she would take snap shots of Cagalli and Lacus. She has loads of pictures at home like she was collecting them. Cagalli didn't mind this at all, but sometimes it was just plain annoying.

"I better head of to class now," Asagi said, waving a hand at Cagalli.

"See you later," Cagalli said, grumbling under her breath.

Lacus was sure taking her time. When she was about to leave that spot, Lacus finally arrived in her pink limo. The limo pulled over at the gate, and Lacus stepped out and greeted her blonde friend. Without gretting back, Cagalli grabbed Lacus' hand and pulled her towards the school. She was in a hurry, since it was almost time for class. Lacus apologized to Cagalli when they've reached the hallways. She was late because she overslept. Well, Cagalli assured the pink-princess that it was alright.

_Principle's office_

Talia Gladys, the head principal of Minerva High, was talking to two new students of the school. One guy had navy blue hair and emerald-green eyes, while the other one had brown hair and amethyst eyes. "Here are your schedules and room number," Talia told them. "I'll call for a student here to bring you to your class." She turned on the speaker phone and called on Cagalli Yula Athha of Class 1-D.

Cagalli didn't know what the principle wanted from her. But she immediately went to the office. When she stepped into the said place, she was surprised to see a familiar face. The new student with brown hair was actually Kira Yamato, the guy she met at the park yesterday. She glanced at the other guy standing next to Kira. Gosh, he was so handsome and his emerald eyes were to die for. Cagalli's cheek lightly turned red and her heart began pounding fast. She couldn't say a word— not even a simple hello or hi.

The green-eyed guy locked his gaze on the blonde. He found her to be fairly attractive and cute. He smiled at her, which made Cagalli more nervous. She never felt that way below. She was so tensed. There was complete silence in the room, and Kira decided to break the silence. He took a few steps forward and greeted Cagalli.

"Cagalli, I didn't know you went to school here," Kira said. "It seems like we're going to be classmates."

"Uh? Um… Yeah, that's good," Cagalli said, finally snapping back to reality.

The green-eyed guy elbowed Kira on the arm, signaling Kira to introduce him to the girl. Kira first narrowed his eyes at him before he turned to Cagalli. "This is Athrun Zala," he said. "He's my best friend."

"I'm Cagalli Yula Athha, and let me be the first one to welcome you the Minerva High School," Cagalli said cheerfully and confidently as her lips curved into a beautiful smile.

_To be continued…_

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JC: That's the end of the first chapter. I've finally had time to revise this. I know the first one had so many grammatical errors on them. I felt bad for neglecting the errors for a long time. I've introduced many characters so far, including my own character, Jean Corda. In addition to that, Cagalli and Athrun seemed to be interested in one another already. They're so cute. Please review my story! No flaming!


	2. Love at First Sight

JC: 2nd chapter finally updated. Thank you for the reviews. I feel much more inspired. I have to say that Fllay and Lacus are rivals in this story, but Lacus, being the kind girl she is, doesn't consider her as a rival. Well, Fllay is always jealous of Lacus anyway. Don't get me wrong here. I actually like Fllay better than Lacus. Please go and read. Enjoy the story, everyone!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed. All rights belong to Sunrise.

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**High school Life**

Phase 02: Love at first sight

Cagalli was taking the new guys to their new classroom. Being the outspoken type, she didn't hesitate to ask the guys some questions—questions like about their old school, where they lived, their favorite sports, and hobbies. Cagalli asked them non-stop until they reached Room 1-D. She slowly opened the door and entered. The teacher noticed the guys standing in the hallway and told Cagalli to introduce them to the class. She nodded her head and glanced back at the door.

The moment Kira and Athrun stepped into the room, the students stared at them. Some students began whispering about them and most girls were awed by their charming appearance, which made the boys green with envy. Who could blame the boys for admiring them? Both Kira and Athrun were drop-dead gorgeous.

Lacus focused her eyes on the brunette guy. She noticed her bears a striking resemblance with Cagalli, but she thought it was just a coincidence. That wasn't the only thing he noticed about him. She had to admit that Kira seemed to be a very nice person, not to mention cute. And when Kira noticed her staring at him, he gave her a smile. Lacus blushed a little and averted her eyes away. She knew that she blushed. Her emotions were getting kind of light and funny.

During class hours, Lacus couldn't stop thinking about Kira Yamato. Plus, he was seated right next to her. She was glad he was just near to her, but she also felt a little conscious. She couldn't set her mind on the lectures. When Lacus' attention was called by the teacher, she was told to read page 98 of the text book, but she didn't know from which line to start. Before she stood up, Cagalli told where to start. She softly thanked Cagalli and started reading the paragraph. She found it strange for her to just ignore the teacher's lectures even though it was so boring. Lacus couldn't blame Kira either since it was her own fault for daydreaming in class. She realized it was natural for girls to feel that way.

Meanwhile, Cagalli had her amber eyes set on Athrun. He was seated right in front of Kira. She had never seen a guy so relaxed, calm, and reserve. The thought of him made her want to giggle. Athrun Zala, even his name rings a bell in Cagalli's head. He seemed to be the perfect guy, but, as they say, humans are not perfect. She wished that class would end soon so she could get to know more about him. Cagalli was getting anxious. Patience was never one of her good traits and she would always get in trouble. She tried to be patient, but her head strong personality always wins. She may be strong and tough on the outside, but she's soft, kind, and gentle inside.

_Class 1-B_

Jean Corda was happy, because she was now one of Lacus' new friends. She really had a wonderful time back at Lacus' mansion. She felt like a real princess in that place. She wanted to go there again, but she's a little shy to ask Lacus about it. Jean was always the shy and aloof type, but she was a member of the tennis club. She was seated in the fourth row, the 2nd column to the left. She was getting bored with class and she felt kind of sleepy. Jean sighed and turned to her seatmate.

Her classmate, Fllay Alster, was the complete opposite of her. Fllay was more like a rich spoiled brat who always gets what she wants. Being born in a rich family, she tends to look down on others. She thinks that she's so great at everything. Fllay was part of the cheerleading club, or more like the Team Captain of the club. She was adored by hundreds of students, especially the the guys, for her great performances. She was talented in many things and she was very pretty, but her attitude stinks. She was bossy, rude, and stubborn all the time—even with her classmates. Nevertheless, she was Ms. Goodie good to the teacher, which really annoyed Jean very much.

Jean never liked her from the day she came to class. The thought of even trying to make friends with Fllay made her want to throw up. Sure, Fllay had friends, but they were also stuck-up like her.

_Lacus' Mansion_

The pink-princess invited Cagalli and the two new guys to her mansion. When they entered, the guys couldn't help but be mesmerized at the place. The mansion was so big and spacious. Their eyes were wandered all over the place.

"You're mansion is beautiful, Miss Lacus," Kira muttered, turning his head at the girl.

"Oh, my, please just call me Lacus," Lacus said, giggling. "It's so much better to hear."

Cagalli gently nudged Athrun's elbow. His emerald orbs contacted her golden ones instantly. That funny feeling rose up again in her heart. She stared deeply into his eyes as if she was in a trance. Cagalli snapped back to reality again after a few seconds and smiled at Athrun.

"Cagalli… I… um…" Athrun said, but he was cut off.

"You want to see the garden?" Cagali asked. "I'll take you there. Just follow me." Before Athrun could reply, the blonde girl grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the garden.

Athrun gazed around the wonderful surroundings. It was a garden full of different kinds of flowers. "It's amazing," he muttered. He felt like he was in paradise. It reminded him of his mother's garden. He used to run around there when he was still a little kid. He felt kind of sad despite the eye-catching and breathtaking flowers.

Cagalli observed his sudden change of mood. She gradually approached him and leaned her head forward to glance at his face. "Athrun, what's the matter?" she asked him.

He dejectedly turned to look at her. He wore a faint smile on his face but that smile didn't fool her. She knew something was wrong with him. Being a concerned friend, Cagalli wanted to cheer him up somehow. But before she could do it, Athrun started walking back to the mansion. She managed to grab his arm, making Athrun look at her. Athrun tried to pull his arm from her grip, but her grip was strong.

"I hope you won't get mad," Cagalli told him before she suddenly hugged him. Athrun froze like a statue for a moment, not realizing that his cheeks were as bright as a red tomato. He felt comfortable in that position. His heart pounded so fast and his hand turned cold. This was the first time he was hugged by another woman other than his mother. His frowned turned into a smile. The sadness in his heart, the sadness he held, simply vanished. It was all thanks to Cagalli. Even though it was just a simple act, it made Athrun feel good.

"Thanks," Athrun whispered into her ear.

Cagalli released him from her embrace. Her cheeks were bright red, but she didn't mind. Seeing Athrun's smile made her happy and relaxed. "I know something was bothering you," Cagalli said, "and I'm glad I was able to help."

_School 6:30 A.M_

Athrun and Kira were standing in the hallways, in front of their room. Kira was leading the conversation about Lacus Clyne. Normally, Kira wouldn't talk about girls, which surprised Athrun even more. Kira was interested in Lacus or more like in love with her.

"Kira, I get it," Athrun notified him with a sigh. "You love Lacus. I understand."

"What! No! I'm just saying…" Kira tried to explain.

"I'm your best friend Kira and I know how you feel about that girl," Athrun said.

Kira wanted to argue about it, but he knew that Athrun was right. Lacus was so easy to like. For Kira, she seemed to be the most beautiful girl in the world. It was like heaven sent Lacus down to earth.

Athrun suggested to Kira that he should court Lacus, and the brunette blushed furiously and turned his head away from his best friend. It wasn't a bad idea at all, but he also thought of the consequences. What if Lacus dumps him? He'll be heart broken. But there was no harm in trying, so he decided to give it a shot. Kira was dead serious about Lacus.

"Go for it, Kira," Athrun encouraged him.

"I'll do my best," Kira said. "And thanks for the support."

Three girls were heading their way, and the two boys quickly noticed them. One of them was really beautiful. She had red-hair and dark blue eyes. Her eyes got caught in Kira's amethyst ones. She simply smiled at him, making him a little tense. "You're an unfamiliar face… Are you new here?" the girl asked.

"Yes and so is he," Kira pointed at Athrun. "This is my friend Athrun, and I'm Kira."

"Well then, Kira it's nice to meet you. I'm Fllay Alster," Fllay introduced herself in a fine and lady-like voice. "Catch you later." She winked an eye at him and walked away. Her two friends walked right behind her as if they were two bodyguards guarding her. When they reach room 1-B, Fllay sat down on her chair and crossed legs. "You know that Kira is really cute," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Don't tell me you like him?" Mica questioned.

Fllay slyly looked at her and smiled. She let out a small giggle and nodded her head. Yes, she was beginning to like him and she wanted to know him.

_To be continued…_

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JC: Chapter 2 has ended. Lacus is crushing on Kira, and Kira is feeling the same way about her. It's going to be a love triangle, since Fllay has the hots for Kira. I do adore love triangles because they add more spice to the story. I just loved Athrun's and Cagalli's moment here. Cagalli hugged him just to comfort him, and Athrun was so happy about it. I really love Athrun and Cagalli! Okay, that's all for this chapter. Please review. No flaming.


	3. Jealousy

JC: I now present the third chapter of High School Life. I've done editing this. It took me a while, considering I have to write my ongoing fic as well. I remember the time I wrote this chapter. I do love to write about a character's jealousy. The love triangle of Fllay, Kira and Lacus will definitely start. I'm going to portray Fllay here as an antagonist. Please don't think of me as a Fllay-hater. I actually like her very much. Please go on and read the story. Enjoy!!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kira, Lacus, Cagalli, Athrun, or any of the Gundam SEED Characters. I only own Jean Corda, my OC.

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**High School Life**

Phase 03: Jealousy

Ever since Fllay met Kira, he was all she ever talked about to her friends. She was like "Kira's so handsome…" and "Kira's is like the perfect guy for her". She was even planning on asking him out, which was a highly unusual thing for a girl to do since boys usually make the moves first. Still, her methods of flirting with boys were effective and she had loads of boyfriends in the past. So, she has lot of experiences. She was confident that Kira would really fall for her. Her confidence was always one of her best traits—at least, that what she believed.

Hearing Fllay talking like that made Jean sick enough to want to go up to Fllay and tape her mouth. "I can't take much more of this," she muttered under her breath. She stood from her chair and went out of the room. She sighed in relief when she couldn't hear Fllay's voice anymore.

Lacus happened to see her and she quickly approached the red-head girl. "Hello there, Jean!" she greeted.

Jean smiled as she saw the pink-haired princess. She stared into Lacus' crystal blue eyes and found it to be so elegant. The boys weren't kidding when they said that Lacus was like a goddess. Jean suddenly thought about Fllay. Comparing her to Lacus is like comparing Heaven and Hell, so if it comes to that she'll choose heaven for sure. She shook her head trying to get Fllay out of her head. She wondered why she thought of her in the first place.

"Are you all right?" Lacus questioned, noticing her state of deep thinking.

Jean let out an awkward laugh. "Um… Yup! I'm always like this." Okay, that was just an excuse.

"Good," Lacus replied. "By the way, I want you to meet my friends." Lacus suddenly pulled Jean towards Room 1-D. There were only a few students there, but Jean's eyes immediately caught sight of a particular group composed of two boys and one girl. She recognized the blonde girl to be Cagalli, but the boys were unfamiliar to her. Lacus gladly introduced Jean to Kira, Athrun, and Cagalli, and Jean got a little nervous.

Cagalli took a step forward and smiled at the green-eyed girl. She held out her hand at Jean to shake. "Lacus told me about you," she said. "It's nice to meet you."

Jean's shyness began to kick in. She was not use to socializing with people, but she cannot be rude in front of Lacus' friends. She happily shook hands with Cagalli, smiling timidly at the blonde, as she gazed upon her golden-brown eyes. Those eyes amazed her somehow. There was something sincere in them. Cagalli's eyes were very beautiful yet aggressive. "It's nice to meet you too," Jean finally answered. For Jean it felt great to shake hands with Cagalli since she was such a big fan of hers. Cagalli was the school's number one female athlete. Jean always tried her best to reach her level, but she knew very well that she couldn't rival Cagalli's prowess. Her gaze then shifted to the two guys beside Cagalli. She found the guys to be very striking and handsome. And then she realized that one of them was Kira Yamato, the guy Fllay was crushing on.

Being a keen observer, Jean just realized something about Kira. She looked back at Cagalli momentarily and back at Kira again. Surprisingly, they looked alike, but Jean didn't ask them about that. She turned to the blue-haired guy next. She smiled as she saw his emerald eyes. He had exactly the same color of eyes like her. She was sure he noticed her eye-color as well.

When Cagalli checked out the time, she gasped almost loudly because it was already 4:30 PM. She was late for running practice. In a flash, Cagalli grabbed her bag and notebooks and stuffed them inside her bag. "Sorry I can't stay long. I've got practice…" Cagalli told them. After closing her bag, she quickly ran out of the room.

Lacus laughed a little at her best friend's reaction. This was not something new to her. Cagalli always managed to get herself late for practice sometimes.

_Hallways_

Cagalli was rushing down the stairs, not being careful and thinking only about the practice. She could picture herself being scolded by the coach again. When she turned at one corner, she bumped into a girl. The girl fell down on her butt, but Cagalli managed to regain balance right away. She was going to apologize and help the girl up. However, she stopped when she saw that the girl she bumped into was none than Fllay. It was Fllay Alster in her cheerleading uniform. She took a few steps backwards, hoping to get away from Fllay before she starts whining. Unfortunately for Cagalli, Fllay's mouth was faster.

"What's the big idea running into me like that, Athha?!" Fllay yelled, raising one fist in the air.

"Sorry, it was an accident and you don't have to shout," Cagalli said, placing a hand on her temple, as she sighed.

"Nobody tells me what to do, so step aside loser," Fllay said with a shrug. She got back up and pushed the blonde aside. "You're such an eyesore, Athha." She walked away from Cagalli, swaying her hips back and forth as if she was model walking down the stage.

What a rude thing to do and what a wrong thing to say, Cagalli thought bitterly. She wasn't planning on arguing with the cheerleader, though Fllay made her angry. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fist. She wanted to spout curses at Fllay, but she remembered what Lacus told her. Letting Fllay get to you will only lead to no good, so she steamed down a bit. She felt strange all of a sudden. Normally she would beat up a person for getting her mad, but now she actually tried to be patient. Patience was never Cagalli's good trait, for she was more of the stubborn and feisty type.

_School grounds_

Fllay was showing the team some new moves for their next performance. She was doing fine until she spotted her beloved Kira with her rival, Lacus Clyne. "What is that girl doing with my Kira?!" Fllay grumbled, almost ripping her pompoms apart because of jealousy. She could clearly see that Lacus and Kira were having a pleasant conversation, and the fact Kira was having a good time with Lacus made Fllay angrier. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared at them. "I'm not going to let Lacus get Kira. I swear I'll make Kira my boyfriend." She called Mica and Sally over to her side and informed them about her plot to make Kira fall in love with her and to get rid of Lacus. After that, Fllay smiled slyly and gave out a small but sinister laugh.

Sally had second thoughts about doing something wrong, but Fllay threatened her. Sally had no choice but to follow Fllay's bidding.

_Outside School_

Athrun was walking back home until he came across a group of thugs bullying someone. He stopped to take a closer look and thought of helping the guy. But it seemed like the guy wasn't in trouble. It looked like the guy was actually beating up the thugs with no difficulty at all. As he moved closer, he took a quick glimpse of the guy's face. He had furious red eyes and messy black hair. Judging from his uniform, the guy wasn't from Minerva High. The fight continued on until the last of the thugs was beaten.

"That will teach you not to mess with ME," the guy boasted. Intimidated by his vicious red eyes, the thugs quickly ran away like a flock of chickens. Once they were out of sight, he knelt down to pick up a pink cell phone that was on the ground. Suddenly, he noticed Athrun's presence. "Who are you? Are you one of them?" He narrowed his eyes at Athrun.

Athrun shook his head. "No… I just happened to pass by." Though he said that, the tough guy didn't believe him. He even glared at Athrun with those red eyes, but Athrun was scared one bit.

The guy clenched his fist and charged towards Athrun. He threw launched a fast punch, but Athrun was faster than him and dodged the punch completely. Athrun immediately countered with a straight punch in the stomach. Feeling the pain, the guy fell to his knees and held his stomach in pain. "I don't want to fight, but you attacked me first," Athrun told him.

"Hmph… Whatever…" he replied. He had never fought with someone as strong at the blue-haired guy. He had to admit that he was a worthy opponent for his abilities.

Athrun extended his hand, offering to help him stand. The guy just slapped his hand away and stood up by himself. He didn't need any help. He turned his back at Athrun and started walking away.

"Wait, the name's Athrun. What's yours?" Athrun asked.

The guy paused for a moment. He took one last glimpse at Athrun and said, "And why the hell should I tell you, bastard?" With that, he rolled his eyes away and continued walking.

_Fllay's mansion_

Fllay lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceilings. Her thoughts lingered only on one thing and that was Kira. She planned on making Kira her boyfriend no matter what, but there was one obstacle blocking her way, which came in a form of a pink-haired girl. "That Lacus… She really burns me up. Who does she think she is flirting with Kira like that?" Fllay said out loud. She didn't care if anyone heard her. Heck, she even wanted to whole neighborhood to know that Lacus was such a bitch. Sighing in frustration, she jumped out of bed and turned on her stereo. Her favorite song was playing.

"I love this song… Moment…" She started singing along with the music. She cranked up the volume more. Unknown to her, the sound reached her sisters' rooms and it was annoying the hell out of them.

Meyrin, who was busy studying for a quiz, heard the music and the singing. How could a person study with all that noise? Peaceful as she can be, she had reached the limit of her patience. She barged out of her room and marched over to Fllay's door. She knocked on the thrice, but Fllay didn't answer the door. She figured that her sister was so into the song. "You've gotta be kidding me. Fllay open up!" Meyrin yelled, banging her fist on the door.

Lunamaria also heard the noise and went out. She met up with her sister in the hallways. "She's not opening up?" She helped Meyrin knock on Fllay's door, hoping she would hear it. "Fllay, turn that music down," Lunamaria demanded.

Seeing that shouting and banging won't work, Lunamaria pulled out the spare key of Fllay's room. She inserted the key into the lock and opened the door. "Fllay turn that thing off!" Luna told her. Being the older sibling, Luna had the right to tell Fllay what to do.

Fllay froze when she saw her sisters by the door. "Yes, right away," she answered, muttering curses about her sisters in her mind. She wanted to sing some more. She can't believe she had two sisters who can be such killjoys.

Meyrin sighed in relief as the silence was returned. "Just keep it that way," she said.

"If you want to listen to music then use the earphones!" Luna yelled.

Meyrin walked out of the room first followed by Luna, who slammed the door shut once she stepped out. Fllay crossed her arms and dropped herself on the bed. Okay, she admitted that she got carried away with the music, but Lunamaria just ticked her off badly. Since Luna was older, she had no right to answer her back. Sometimes she wished that she was the eldest, but she was stuck being equal to Meyrin, her twin sister. "Forget about them for now so concentrate on your plot against Lacus Clyne," she told herself.

_To be continued… _

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JC: Fllay is up to no good. Don't be surprised with Fllay's family here. I know some of you are thinking why Fllay is related to the Lunamaria and Meyrin. Well, Lunamaria and Meyrin look so much like Fllay, which is why I decided to make them siblings here. I think it's cute. I'm not a Lunamaria fan, but I do like Fllay and Meyrin very much. They can pass as twins. This chapter had a lot of Fllay in it. Oh, yeah, Jean also noticed the same facial features of Cagalli and Kira. I've also introduced a certain red-eyed guy here. Try to guess who? He's quite the obvious one. Anyway, thank your for reading the story. Reviews are much appreciated. No flaming!!


	4. Uncertain Emotions

JC: Thank you so much for the reviews. I'm so happy that many fan like my humble story. Take note that this chapter will focus a little on Athrun and Cagalli. I will also be introducing Shinn, Stellar and Rey here. You guys ready for this chapter? Well, I'm not stopping you. Go on ahead and read to your hearts content. I just hope it doesn't come out confusing.

Disclaimer: How can I own Gundam Seed? I have no rights to the series. I can never own Gundam Seed, but the plotline of this story is mine. Got it?

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**High School Life**

Phase 04: Uncertain Emotions

A soccer practice match between Minerva High and Dominion High had just ended. Minerva high won and it was mostly thanks to Cagalli Yula Athha. She, undeniably and skillfully, scored the most points out of all the players. Even though Cagalli was not an official member of the girl's soccer team, she loved helping them out. She practically enjoyed any kind of strenuous sports. Of course, she enjoyed winning in competitions too. The coach and the captain of the team insisted her on joining, but she rejected their offer countless times already. She was the ace of another sports club in school and she didn't want to quit that club.

After the players got out of the field, the cheerleading squad took over with Fllay Alster leading them. "We've won! We've won! Minerva is the best!" the cheering squad shouted out.

Cagalli sat down on a bench and wiped some sweat off her forehead. She was really tired from the game, but she was also happy. She took a quick glance at Athrun, who was waving his hand at her while wearing a very handsome smile on his face. Oh, how she loved that smile. She could feel her cheeks burning up, but she didn't care. Athrun was too far to be able to notice her blush anyway.

_Next day at Dominion High School, 7:00 A.M._

A guy with black unruly hair leaned his head against the locker. He felt really sleepy since he slept late last night. He let out a groan and started walking towards the stairs. He walked like an old man who had drank more than ten bottles of beer. As he was about to reach the last step, he tripped and fell to the floor. "Ah… Oh man…" he murmured. Strangely, the fall didn't hurt him at all. It felt like he fell on something soft. He glanced at his hand and gasped when he saw that his hand was on a girl's breast. His red eyes widened in surprise and quickly he backed away from the girl.

"Ouch… That hurts," the girl said. She slowly opened her eyes only to see the red-eyed guy staring at her. She looked at him curiously. "You're the one who fell on me. Why don't you watch where you're going?"

His cheeks were now bright red. He felt tense and awkward. He was thinking of what might happen to him if the girl finds out that he touched her breast. He turned his head away from her, trying to hide his blush at the same time.

"I'm asking you a question…" the girl said.

"Huh? Um…Yeah…I fell on top of you," he nervously said. "Sorry about that…

Noticing that they were still sitting on the floor, the girl stood up and offered her hand to the guy. "I'm Stellar Loussier," she introduced herself. Her voice was very pleasing and cheery. "How about you? What's your name?"

Shinn took her hand and got back on his feet. "Erm…its Shinn…Shinn Asuka," he answered.

"That's a nice name… From now on, we're friends, okay?" Stellar said with an innocent yet lovely smile.

"Huh? Okay…" Shinn replied. "Wait a sec, are you new here?"

Stellar nodded her head. She was officially the newest student in Dominion High School, and Shinn was the very first friend she made in school. Shinn watched her closely. He noticed that she had a pair of beautiful magenta eyes and short soft blonde hair. Stellar somehow put him in a trance. Shinn never felt his heart pounding so fast before. If it was possible he could just melt right in front of Stellar. Even her name rang a bell in his head. "Can I give you a tour around school?" Shinn suggested.

"That's great… Thank you," Stellar said. She then grabbed Shinn's arm and pulled him towards the hallways. She started questioning Shinn about the school, and he had no choice but to answer her. Still, he admired her. Stellar was no different than the other girls he met before, but something about her made him feel so good inside. Stellar had an outgoing and cheerful personality which he observed from the way she talked to him.

Rey Za Burrel, the popular blonde guy in Dominion High, happened to see them in front of his classroom. He approached them and casually greeted Shinn. Rey was a friend of Shinn but not a very close friend. They were more like acquaintances. Still, they respected each other. "Shinn, who's the girl?" Rey asked.

"This is Stellar Loussier," Shinn replied, gesturing his hand to Stellar. "She's new around here."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Stellar. I'm Rey Za Burrel" Rey politely introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you too," Stellar told him.

"So you're showing her around. That's very unusual of you, Shinn. You never did this thing for other girls." Rey gave Shinn a suspicious look as his lips curved into a grin.

"Shut up Rey!" Shinn demanded.

Shinn was known to be the roughest guy in school. He was nothing more than a trouble maker who spent his time fighting. Though he was a delinquent, he was great at sports and his grades were good. However, he had no respect for teachers and school rules. Heck, he doesn't give a damn listening to the principal. And because of his naturally good looks, he was one of the most sought after guys in school. Most girls really go for his bad-boy attitude.

_Minerva High School, Lunch Time_

Athrun, Cagalli, Kira and Lacus were having lunch on the rooftop. Lacus brought some homemade cookies and she shared it with her friends. Cagalli enjoyed eating the cookies since they were so yummy and complimented Lacus on her amazing cooking skills. Cagalli always liked eating everything Lacus cooked up. "As expected, it's still the best cookie I ever tasted," Cagalli told her.

"Please stop it, Cagalli… My cookies are not that good," Lacus said with a giggle. She was pretty humble.

Kira and Athrun took a bite from their cookies and thought it to be very delicious. Lacus was relieved that the guys liked it. Cagalli was about to take another one until Jean came. Jean appeared to be exhausted from running up the stairs.

"What's the matter, Jean?" Cagalli asked.

"The captain of the basketball team is looking for you," Jean explained, panting hard. "She wants you to play in their next match."

Cagalli sighed and turned to her friends. She faintly smiled at them. "I guess I have to go." Someone needed her athletic skills again and this time it was the basketball team. Cagalli quickly left, carrying a handful of Lacus' cookies with her.

"Lacus, you told us before that Cagalli loves helping out different sports clubs. Did you mean all of the sports clubs?" Kira asked.

"Sort off… Cagalli is so good in sports that every club wants her," Lacus replied.

"Cagalli is really something," Athrun said, thinking incredibly of Cagalli. "But doesn't she get tired of helping out all the time? She's only human."

"Nope, she doesn't," Jean answered as she sat down with them.

_Next Day, Minerva High School _

The moment Athrun Zala walked into the classroom, a lot of girls turned their attention to him and greeted him. He didn't fail to flash them a smile, making the girls squeal in delight. He approached his two friends, Kira and Lacus, and greeted them. After that, he glanced around the classroom, looking for a certain blonde girl. It seemed that Cagalli hasn't arrived yet.

"Athrun, I think you may want to know this," Lacus started.

"What is it?" Athrun asked.

"Cagalli will not be coming to school today," Lacus answered. She informed Athrun that Cagalli sprained her ankle during her training yesterday. Good thing it was only a minor injury. Athrun looked a little upset. He somehow wanted to see if Cagalli was really fine. Lacus assured him that everything was fine with Cagalli, but Athrun still looked a bit worried.

Kira never saw his best friend acting like a worry wart before. He softly giggled at Athrun's reaction.

"Where's her house?" Athrun asked. "I'm going there right now."

"What!" Lacus and Kira gasped.

Athrun was so persistent that Lacus gave in and told him the address. Kira tried to stop him from leaving the classroom, but he quickly ran off, leaving his belongings behind. It seemed like Athrun didn't care if he was going to cut classes as long as he got to see Cagalli. Kira and Lacus stared at each other with a surprised look on their faces, wondering what has gotten into their blue-haired friend.

"Do you think Athrun is?" Lacus started.

"In love?" Kira continued. "Ah…I think so."

_Cagalli's House_

Athrun stood in front of Cagalli's house. He breathed heavily, because he was totally exhausted from all the running. He just ran from the school to her house. He wanted to see her so badly. He wanted to see for himself that she was okay and that there was nothing to worry about. Athrun steadily walked towards the door and knocked on it. His hands turned cold the minute the door opened. A woman with brown hair appeared, and Athrun assumed that she was Cagalli's mother.

"Who are you?" Mrs. Athha asked.

"I'm Athrun Zala," Athrun replied promptly. "I'm one of Cagalli's classmates."

Mrs. Athha let him in and told him where Cagalli's room was. Athrun thanked her and immediately gone up the stairs. He spotted different rooms on the second floor but one door was slightly open. He peeked inside and saw Cagalli sitting on her bed. He held onto the door knob and took a deep breath. "Here goes," he murmured under his breath. He entered the room and greeted the blonde girl.

Cagalli almost fell out of bed when she saw Athrun. Regaining back her composure, she raised an eyebrow and glared at him. She wondered why the hell was Athrun in her room and not in a classroom where he should be right now.

Athrun gave out a small laugh, getting a little scared of her glare. She looked like she was going to eat him or kill him. He then noticed the bandage around her left foot. "So um… are you okay?" Athrun questioned her.

"Yeah… Why are you here?" Cagalli said.

"Lacus told me about you spraining your ankle," Athrun told her. "I got worried, so I decided to visit you. I hope its okay."

Did she just hear that right? Athrun was actually worried about her? He actually skipped school just to see if she was okay. Cagalli suddenly felt guilt in her heart. Because of her, he may get in trouble in school if they found out. Aside from that, she was relieved to see him. "Thanks…" Cagalli softly spoke.

Looking at the clock, she sighed in frustration as she saw that it was already class time. She guessed Athrun wouldn't be going back to school. Well, she could use some company, so she won't mind him staying for a while. She thought of making him snacks, so she slowly stood and carefully walked towards the door. She accidentally stepped hard on her left foot and felt great pain, which caused her to fell.

Luckily, Athrun caught her and both of them dropped on the bed. Cagalli was on top of Athrun with her hands laid on his chest. As she lifted her head and looked at him, the both of them froze in silence. Athrun's emerald-green eyes were locked onto her beautiful amber ones. He noticed the faint blush on Cagalli's cheeks, but he was sure that he was also blushing. They stayed in that position for a minute, and when Cagalli snapped back to reality, she quickly got off of him.

Cagalli turned her head away from him and pondered on her thoughts. She knew she had blushed and she felt so annoyed with that. But she saw him blushing as well. He looked really cute, she admitted, and his eyes were like true emeralds. Staring into his eyes was a heart-jumping experience for her.

Athrun started laughing as he thought about the little incident. Cagalli immediately got pissed and pushed him out of the bed. Athrun fell to the floor, but he wasn't seriously hurt. "What did you do that for?" Athrun asked, standing up.

"For laughing at me…" Cagalli answered, crossing her arms over her chest.

He sighed and sat down. He took a quick glance around the room and saw a picture on top of the dresser. It was a picture of a woman holding twin babies in her arms. One baby had blonde hair and the other one had brown hair.

Cagalli noticed him staring at that picture. "That's my real mom," she said, her voice very sincere. She explained to Athrun that she was adapted by the Athha family and had never met her true mother or the baby boy in the picture. Heck, she didn't even know if the boy was alive. She knew nothing of her real family.

Strange though, Kira was also adapted by the Yamato Family, Athrun thought quietly. He focused his attention on the picture when Cagalli pointed out the baby girl with blonde her. It was none other than herself, and Athrun told her that she was cute as a baby.

Cagalli shrugged. "Only as a baby but now I don't think I'm still cute," she told Athrun.

"You're still cute to me," Athrun said with a smile.

"Huh? Um…Thanks…I guess…" she said, almost stuttering, as she lightly blushed. Every time he would flash his pearly whites at her, she could hear her heart pounding like a drum. What was wrong with her? She wasn't like this with other boys. It seemed like Athrun was making some sort of impact on her, and she couldn't understand it.

_To be continued…_

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JC: The baby boy in the picture is Cagalli's twin brother. Of course, you all know who he is. Cagalli doesn't know that her brother is just under her nose. Athrun is definitely in love with Cagalli. He even visited her at home just to see her. That was so sweet of him. And Cagalli is falling for Athrun. I would write more moments about them later on. Also, I won't forget about Kira and Lacus. Shinn and Stellar have also met in this chapter, and I've introduced Rey as well. Let's see how these characters will progressed throughout the story. Well, please do review!! No flaming.


	5. Confrontation

JC: There was a nice Athrun and Cagalli moment in the previous chapter. Athrun had actually visited Cagalli in her own home because he was worried about her. That was sweet of him. Cagalli had also told him about her real mother. This means that she trusts Athrun enough. Lovely feelings are growing, but it will take a while until everyone will become a couple. Just wait for it. For now, please read and enjoy. Don't forget to review in the end. By the way, another OC of mine will appear here. He had also appeared in my previous story as well.

Disclaimer: Gundam SEED is officially owned by Sunrise. I'm only borrowing the characters for my own enjoyment.

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**High School Life**

Phase 05: Confrontations

Athrun arrived in school, looking a bit dazed. He was thinking about Cagalli again and the picture of her real mother and brother. He wondered if it was possible for her to meet the family she never knew. Somehow, he thought, Cagalli's life seemed like a TV drama series. As he saw Kira walking down the hallways, he called out his attention, and when Kira turned around, he suddenly saw Cagalli's face, much to his surprise. He blinked several times and shook his head to snap back to reality. Why did he see Cagalli in Kira? It was so weird.

Kira greeted him casually as usual, but he noticed his best friend staring perplexedly at him. "Um… Athrun, is something the matter?" he asked curiously, raising an eyebrow. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You look like her," Athrun replied shortly.

"Who?" Kira asked.

"Cagalli," Athrun said. "You look a lot like Cagallli." He quickly pointed out Kira's similarities to Cagalli immediately before Kira could say anything. Their eye shape, the face, and the hair style were all the same. The only difference was the eye and hair color, the height and the gender.

Kira told Athrun that it was probably a coincidence. "Oh, come on… So what if we do look alike? It doesn't mean that I'm related to her. She's not my twin sister or something," he said, chuckling to himself.

The brunette started walking ahead as Athrun paused to reflect on the matter. Cagalli did tell him about having a twin brother but they were separated from birth. He also remembered the hair color of Cagalli's twin in the picture. It was brown just like Kira's. It was more than just a mere coincidence already, Athrun said to himself as he watched his best friend. The more Athrun thought about it the more curious he got.

Before Kira could enter the classroom, he was stopped by a certain red-haired girl. She gently poked his chest and stared slyly into his amethyst eyes. Her flirting proved to be annoying in Kira's case, but he couldn't be rude to a girl—even if he wanted to push her out of the way so he could get into the room.

"You remember me, right?" she said, winking an eye at him. "I'm Fllay Alster." She traced an imaginary line on his chest and smiled seductively at him.

Kira had a bad feeling about her. "May I ask what you want for me?" he asked politely.

She grasped his shirt with one hand and brought his face closer to hers. "Do you have plans this Saturday?" she asked. "I want you to go out with me on a date." She was confident that Kira would agree right away. No guy had ever resisted Fllay Alster's charms before. It was pretty easy for her to attract any guy by a simple gesture or word.

Okay, Fllay has the hots for him, which was not good. Kira had no plans of getting to know Fllay, let alone going on a date with her. He wasn't interested in her. "I'm sorry," he said, averting his eyes away from her. "I can't and I won't. Please excuse me." He gently pushed her away from him, bowing his head as an apology, and entered the classroom.

Fllay was totally surprised. A guy actually refused to go out with her. It was a total first for her. Almost every guy in school wanted her as a girlfriend, but Kira was an exception. She cannot believe it. She felt embarrassed, humiliated, and furious all at the same time. She peeked into the room to see Kira, but she gasped when she found him talking to her rival, Lacus Clyne. It made her blood boil to see Kira enjoying his talk with Lacus. She swore she'll do something to steal Kira's heart. She was seriously set on making Kira all hers. She won't let anything get in the way, especially not the pink-haired princess of the school.

_Dominion High_

Ever since class started, Shinn had never taken his eyes off of Stellar Loussier, the newest blonde cutie in class. The tough and brave Shinn, famous for being a delinquent in school, was actually kind of soft around Stellar. He knew what he felt about her. It was the feeling called Love. Suddenly he felt something hit his head. It was a crumpled piece of paper. He knew who threw it, so he immediately shot a glare at his seatmate.

"You were spacing out again, Shinn," the guy teased, leaning back on his seat.

"Do that again and I'll give you a fat lip," Shinn warned.

The guy had short messy brown hair and sharp blue eyes. His name was Kai Kazuya. He was more or less Shinn's best friend. But unlike Shinn, Kai was not a trouble maker. He was a very sociable guy, so it was no wonder why he got along well with the others in class. Kai had recently discovered about Shinn's budding feelings for the new student. He offered to help Shinn win his love, because it seemed interesting.

Shinn played with his pen and leaned his cheek on his hand. "What's in it for you?" he asked. "I'm sure there's a catch. Are you trying to be blackmail me or something?"

Kai shook his head. "Nah, it's nothing like that," he said, and took down notes on the board in his notebook. "I would never stoop as something as low as blackmail. About your feelings, by the way, I suggest you would think over it really hard. Take your time and make the right moves when the moment comes. I'm sure you'll do fine with Stellar Loussier."

Grunting, Shinn rolled his eyes away from Kai. "Don't try to play matchmaker," he said with a shrug, "or else I'll murder you." Matchmaking could probably lead him to a series of trouble, especially if Kai will be the one doing it. Kai assured him that he won't butt in, but Shinn sort of doubted him. His best friend might not be a troublemaker, but he was known to be tricky sometimes.

_Hallways_

Fllay confronted Lacus in the hallways, jealousy fuming in her eyes. She smiled furtively at the pink haired girl. While Lacus was not in the mood for Fllay's insults, Fllay was serious. Lacus didn't want to stick around with her for another minute, so she decided to hurry along. However, before she could move away, the red-haired girl grabbed her wrist and squeezed it hard. "You're hurting me," Lacus told her, wincing a little in pain.

Narrowing her eyes, Fllay pushed her aside, making Lacus hit the wall. She then pinned her against the wall by pressing her hand on Lacus' shoulder. "Better stay away from Kira while you still can, Clyne…" Fllay said in a monotonous and cold voice. "I like Kira a lot, so hands off." She grabbed Lacus by the shoulders and pushed her to the floor. She laughed out aloud like a witch, thinking how pathetic Lacus was, and walked away feeling successful. At last, she pulled a fast one on Lacus. She hated Lacus with her whole heart and intended to make Lacus' life as miserable as possible.

Kira, who just happened to walk by, saw Lacus on the floor. Feeling concerned for her, he quickly marched right up to her. He knelt down to her level and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Lacus, what's the matter?" he asked. "Are you hurt or something?" Lacus slowly lifted her head and gazed upon him with her clear blue eyes. He saw tears coming out of those eyes, which made him frown. Lacus suddenly trembled in sadness, and Kira didn't know what to do. He wasn't that good in comforting people, especially a girl. But he sighed and decided to pull the pink haired girl closer to him. Making her lean on his chest, he brushed through her soft pink hair with one hand while his other hand snaked around her waist.

Lacus continued to sob quietly, clutching onto Kira's shirt. She didn't mean to cry like that. Normally, she would always manage to hold her tears. She was a strong girl underneath the angelic appearance. But what Fllay did to her was too much. Nevertheless, Lacus didn't hate Fllay for what she did. She wasn't the type to hold grudges. Truth to be known, she wished they could be friends instead.

Fllay was about to climb down the stairs when she remembered the notebook she left back in the classroom. She would certainly need her notes for homework later, so she turned around and started walking back. The moment she saw Kira hugging Lacus comfortably, she stopped and gasped in horror. "Clyne! You'll regret this!" Fllay grumbled under her breath. She was furious. Just when she thought she won over Lacus, it seemed like she was the one who was defeated. She cursed Lacus more and more. "Just you wait, Clyne. I will take Kira away from you. Mark my word." Angrily, she stomped away from the sickening sight, totally forgetting about her notebook.

_Clyne mansion_

"Miss Lacus…" the maid said as she knocked on the door. When Lacus opened the door, the maid politely bowed and greeted her. She then informed Lacus that she has a visitor.

Wondering who could the visitor be, Lacus climbed down the stairs and went straight to the living room where she saw a familiar blue-haired guy. "Good evening, Athrun," she said, a smile gracing her lips. "What brings you to my humble home?"

"My father wanted to see your father," Athrun replied. "They seem to know each other well."

"What is the name of your father?" Lacus asked.

"Patrick Zala," Athrun said. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, I remember him… That's why your surname is so familiar to me. I've seen your father before when I was very young," Lacus told him. "Mr. Zala and my father are good friends."

"That's nice to hear."

Just then, two middle-aged men walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. Lacus sat beside her father and Athrun went to sit down beside his father.

"Lacus, Athrun, we are going to discuss something very important," Siegel, the father of Lacus, started off. "It's about your future. Patrick and I had a long talk about this."

"We have decided that you two should be engaged," Patrick said.

Lacus and Athrun gasped silently in surprise. They couldn't believe what they just heard. Lacus and Athrun were engaged to be married someday. Of course, they wanted to protest about their decisions, but their fathers made it perfectly clear that they were going to be husband and wife in the future. They couldn't disobey their fathers but they highly disapproved of this. As Siegel Clyne and Patrick Zala left them alone in the living room, Lacus glanced at Athrun, who looked rather depressed. She felt the same way as he did. She only thought of Athrun no more than a good friend.

"Athrun, I don't want to go through this," Lacus said.

"Do you think I'm happy about this too? Well, I'm not… You're a nice girl Lacus but you're my friend," Athrun clarified. Besides, he was already having feelings for another girl.

"Why must our fathers put us in a difficult trial?" Lacus asked. "I don't want to marry someone I don't even love."

Athrun and Lacus decided to keep it low until they can come up with a plan to get out of the engagement matter. In their mind right now, they will do what it takes to persuade their fathers. They were just friends and they wanted their relationship to stay that way. Athrun loved another girl and Lacus loved another guy, plain and simple.

"Wait… I can't keep this from Cagalli," Lacus told Athrun.

"Why not?" Athrun asked. "We can't tell anyone about this. It may only cause trouble for us."

"I know, but I promised Cagalli that I won't keep any secrets from her," Lacus explained. "After all, she's my best friend." And Lacus was always true to her words.

Athrun wasn't sure of telling Cagalli about their engagement. He was having feelings for her, and Cagalli might take their situation the wrong way. After minutes of thinking, Athrun made the final decision to keep it a secret to everyone including Cagalli. Lacus felt so sad, but if that was the way Athrun wanted then she'll follow.

_Cagalli's House_

Cagalli lay in bed as she held the picture of her real mom and the twins. It would always bring a smile upon her face. Even though she had never met her real mother before, she felt a strong love for the woman in the picture. Her real mother was a mystery to her. But she wasn't sad completely sad without her. Cagalli had wonderful parents who loved her with all their heart. Even though they weren't related by blood, they were the ones who took care of her since she was still a baby. Her family was great in her eyes. But still, she prayed that she would see her twin brother again. She felt that her twin was still alive and somewhere very close. "I wonder where you are bro… I want to see you," she murmured.

Placing the picture on her bedside drawer, she crawled under her sheets and stared at the ceiling. "If I do meet him, I wonder what I'll do," she said, turning over to her side. "And I wonder who the older one is. Well, I'm pretty sure it's me." She giggled softly and after that, she heaved a sigh. She spent some time thinking about school, her sports club, and finally about a blue-haired guy. Her face turned red as she pictured his handsome face in her head. And minutes later, she went to sleep.

_To be continued… _

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JC: A new problem for our characters. Lacus and Athrun are now officially engaged thanks for their fathers. I don't really approve of arranged marriages. Fllay is also getting annoying and more jealous of Lacus. She doesn't stand a chance in winning Kira's heart. He's already falling for Lacus. Sorry for Fllay, though. By the way, Stellar is going to meet Cagalli and Lacus in the next chapter. I've also introduced my own character here. His name is Kai Kazuya. Well, that's all for this chapter. Please leave a review. No flaming.


	6. Friendly Encounter

JC: Chapter 6 here! I just want you all to know that in this fic, there are no Naturals and Coordinators. Thank you by the way for all the reviews.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed.

_Stellar meeting Cagalli and Lacus here…_

_Fllay must die… lol…_

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**High School Life**

Phase 06: Friendly Encounter

Fllay was having an early morning practice with her cheerleading team. Kira happened to pass by which caught Fllay's attention. She excused herself from the team and ran towards Kira. The red headed girl quickly hugged Kira as if he was her boyfriend. Kira slightly blushed at this.

"Um… Fllay… What are you doing?" Kira asked her.

"I'm hugging you isn't that obvious." Fllay said.

"I can see that but why?" Kira getting a little pissed.

"Is it a crime to hug you? It's just a friendly hug." Fllay told him.

"I'm sorry but I still have cleaning duty. Please excuse me Fllay…" Kira said.

Kira gently pushed her aside and walked away. Fllay raised an eyebrow and gritted her teeth. That was the 2nd time that Kira just blew her off. She still couldn't forget Lacus crying on Kira's chest in the hallways. Kira held her so warmly in his arms as he comforted her. Fllay felt more jealous and angrier as she thought about Lacus.

"That Clyne…. I'll make sure that Kira will be mine." Fllay evilly thought.

sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

Shinn was on his way to school and he was confronted by a group of boys that seemed to be looking for trouble. Shinn was the definition of trouble, meaning everywhere he'd go there will always be danger. A guy with black unruly hair, holding a pipe in his hand, stepped out and smiled slyly at Shinn.

"We heard that you're pretty tough. If I'm not mistaken you're from Dominion High." The guy spoke.

"Can't you tell by my uniform? Geez, it's so obvious." Shinn remarked.

"A wise guy huh? We know how to deal with guys like you." The guy said. "Get him boys!"

The guys all charged at him but Shinn was prepared. One by one he had beaten them up until only the leader was left standing. The leader was the one who spoke to him a while ago. He couldn't believe his eyes. All of his boys were defeated by Shinn.

"These guys didn't give me a challenge." Shinn boasted.

"Why you!" the guy yelled.

He charged at Shinn but Shinn evaded his attack and punched him hard right on the stomach. The guy spitted blood out of mouth. He fell down to his knees and collapsed. Shinn glared at the now unconscious guy.

"What a bunch of idiots…" Shinn thought.

"Wow… You're so strong."

Shinn got startled by that voice. It seemed very familiar to him. He turned around to see a blonde girl smiling at him. Shinn gasped as he realized that it was Stellar Loussier.

"I saw you fight and you were great." Stellar said.

Shinn blushed at what Stellar said. He suddenly laughed a little and scratched his head. It was a weird for him to know that a girl like Stellar could actually like a fight. He was sure about one thing about her, she wasn't ordinary. Stellar grabbed his arm and glanced at him. Shinn was now bright as a red tomato.

"Let's walk to school together okay…" Stellar said.

"Uh… Okay…" Shinn replied nervously.

sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

_Minerva High_

Athrun was sitting in the classroom as his thoughts wandered around. He kept thinking about his engagement with Lacus which he totally refuses. Lacus is just a good friend and that's it. Normally, boys would love to marry the pink haired princess but not Athrun for his heart belonged to someone else.

"I have to convince father…" Athrun thought.

Suddenly Athrun's vision turned black because a person was covering his eyes. He could tell that person was a girl since the hands were soft and smooth. He heard a light giggle from the girl. He guessed it to be Cagalli and he was right. As the girl removed her hand, Athrun turned his head to see the blonde girl which he adored so much.

"Good morning Athrun… I notice that you were spacing out." Cagalli greeted. "Is something the matter?"

"Nah… It's nothing Cagalli." Athrun replied.

Kira's face suddenly popped into Athrun's head. He glanced at Cagalli for a while. Cagalli and Kira really looked alike but Kira said it's just a coincidence. But for Athrun there's something more to it. His mind focused on the picture again. The baby girl with the blonde hair was of course Cagalli but the brown haired baby might be Kira. Those things ran in Athrun's mind.

"Didn't you say that you're an adopted child?" Athrun questioned.

"Yeah… I already told you this when we were still 10." Kira replied.

It was becoming clearer for Athrun. He was sure that Kira was Cagalli's long lost twin brother but he needs to confirm it first before he could tell. Kira wondered what's bugging Athrun since he stayed quiet for a while.

The bell just rang and all the students rushed towards their respective classrooms. Kira and Athrun sat down on their seat. Lacus and Cagalli entered which caught the boy's attentions. Kira greeted them first followed by Athrun. Lacus faintly smiled at Athrun and went to her seat. Kira noticed something was wrong with Lacus but he decided to ask her later.

"Class please settle down…" the teacher said as she came in. "Now get your English text books and turned to page 52."

_In room 1-B_

Fllay was writing a love letter to Kira instead of listening to the lectures. Jean of course knew what she was doing but Jean decided to tell the teacher because it could only lead to trouble. Jean brought her attention back to the teacher who was reading a short story to class. It was very boring but it's better than watching Fllay. One of Fllay's friend, Mica who was seating right behind her tapped Fllay on the shoulder. Fllay turned her head at Mica.

"What is it?" Fllay asked.

"Is that a love letter for Yamato?" Mica asked.

"Of course it is… I'm going to slip this in his locker after class." Fllay told Mica.

"Better yet why don't you just ask that Jean girl over there to give it to him?" Mica suggested.

"What! Why Jean!" Fllay was furious.

"You misunderstood me… I've seen Jean talking to Kira the other day and they seem to be only friends." Mica explained.

"I see… Okay then I'll ask no command her." Fllay giggled.

Jean Corda was attentively listening to the teacher when Fllay suddenly pulled her hand. Jean quickly swiped her hand and glared angrily at Fllay. The red-head girl showed Jean the love letter.

"You're going to give this to Kira." Fllay told Jean.

"Huh! Why me?" Jean asked.

"Because I said so." Fllay answered.

Fllay slammed the letter on her desk. Jean sighed in defeat and hid the letter in her bag. Jean was really mad at her but she didn't show any signs of it. Jean was good at hiding emotions.

"I hate Fllay even more now." Jean silently thought.

_After class…_

Jean waited in front of room 1-D to give Kira the love letter. She leaned against the wall and stared at the envelope. She wanted to read it but she knew that it would be wrong. Kira finally came out with Cagalli, Athrun, and Lacus. Jean approached Kira and handed him the letter.

"Is this for me?" Kira asked.

"Yes… but it's not from me… It's from Fllay Alster." Jean replied.

Lacus lowered her head as she heard that name. The pink haired princess still didn't forget what Fllay did to her the other day. She was warned by Fllay to stay away from Kira because she loves him.

"So Fllay likes Kira? That spells trouble for you." Cagalli said.

"Why is that?" Athrun asked.

"If Fllay's in love with a guy he would do anything to make that guy fall in love with her and it means eliminating competitions too." Jean told them.

"She could try but I will never fall for a girl like her." Kira assured.

Lacus lighten up a bit after hearing Kira speak. Lacus was developing feelings for Kira. Even though Fllay threaten her it will not stop her from being close to Kira. Somehow she wanted to tell Kira how she felt but she still got problems which needs solving. Her biggest problem was her engagement with Athrun. She wanted to call it off but her father was sure. She could only sigh. Cagalli noticed her best friend feeling a little down. Suddenly the blonde grabbed Lacus' hands.

"Lacus let's go to the ice cream shop." Cagalli suggested.

"Um… sure why not.." Lacus replied.

"I hope you guys don't mind." Cagalli turned at Athrun and Kira.

"Nope… You girls go and hang out." Athrun said.

"Jean, see you later." Cagalli told Jean.

"Okay." Jean replied.

Cagalli smiled and nodded her head at them. She pulled Lacus through the hallways. Athrun knew what Cagalli was trying to do. She was trying to cheer Lacus up which is really a nice thing. Cagalli is such a good friend to Lacus.

sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

_Ice Cream Shop_

Cagalli and Lacus entered the ice cream shop. They picked a table near the window and sat down. The waitress came to take their order. Cagalli turned her head at the waitress.

"What the! Stellar is that you?" Cagalli spoke.

The blonde girl of Dominion High, Stellar Loussier, was the new waitress of the shop. Stellar also seemed to be recognized by Cagalli. Stellar stared at Cagalli curiously, wondering if she knew Cagalli. Something just hit her, of course, she knew who Cagalli was. Stellar giggled in joy and hugged Cagalli.

"I can't believe it's you. I really missed you." Stellar said.

"I miss you too. So how've you been?" Cagalli asked.

"I've been fine." Stellar replied.

Lacus felt being left out so she lightly poked Cagalli's hand. Cagalli glanced at Lacus to see her smiling at her. Cagalli forgot to introduce Lacus to Stellar. She snapped her finger and pointed at Lacus.

"Stellar I want you to meet my best friend, Lacus Clyne." Cagalli said.

"Nice to meet you Lacus I'm Stellar Loussier but call me Stellar. I'm a friend of Cagalli." Stellar told Lacus. "We met in kindergarten."

"I see… I'm very glad to meet you too Stellar." Lacus said.

They were having a pleasant conversation until someone tapped on Stellar's shoulder. Stellar turned her at head to see that the person was her manager. The manager glared at her. Who wouldn't be mad on an employee who was only chatting and not doing her job? Stellar got the message and took Cagalli's and Lacus' order.

"Be right back Cags…" Stellar winked at Cagalli.

"You never told me about Stellar before." Lacus said.

"Well you see Stellar and I were classmates from Kindergarten to the 2nd grade." Cagalli told Lacus. "I'm surprise that we still recognize each other."

"Tell me more about Stellar…" Lacus asked.

"Well when we were still kids, Stellar always loves to dance." Cagalli started.

After a while, Stellar came back with their ice creams. Cagalli and Lacus started eating it. Stellar saw the manager exiting the shop so she took the opportunity to chat with Cagalli and Lacus. She sat down beside Cagalli.

"So what's the name of your school?" Stellar suddenly asked.

"Minerva High and you?" Cagalli said.

"I'm from Dominion High School." Stellar replied. "You know I've met this really nice boy from that school."

"What does this boy look like?" Lacus asked seemed to be interested as well.

"He has black hair, furious red eyes but he's really cute." Stellar giggled. "His name is Shinn Asuka."

Lacus and Cagalli gasped as they heard the name Shinn Asuka. They knew who Shinn was because he was known for trouble-making, and threatening other students. Shinn is one mean and ruthless guy and yet Stellar thinks he's nice. Stellar was puzzled by their reactions.

"What's the matter with you two?" Stellar asked.

"Shinn… he's the worst guy ever." Cagalli said.

"Are you not scared of him?" Lacus asked.

"No, he's pretty nice to me." Stellar answered.

Amazingly Stellar wasn't scared of Shinn at all. She seemed to be fond of him. Stellar treats him as a friend or maybe more.

It was getting late and the two best friends still had homework to do. They told Stellar that they have to go. Stellar clasped her hand and smiled at them. Stellar was glad to meet Cagalli again and to meet Lacus as well. She escorted them to the exit and waved her hand at them. Lacus and Cagalli started walking away. While walking along the streets, the best friends talked about Stellar.

"Stellar is a cute girl." Lacus said.

"Yup! But I wonder why Shinn…" Cagalli murmured.

"Well in any case just as long Shinn is nice to her then its okay." Lacus assured.

"Maybe Shinn likes Stellar… or not?" Cagalli wondered. "Okay here's where we separate."

Lacus waved her hand at Cagalli. She turned around and started walking towards a different direction. The blonde stretched out her arms and took a deep breathe. She scratched her head rapidly as she stared at the notebooks in her hand. Cagalli still had tons of homework to do. She gave out a big sigh and headed home. When she turned out one corner of the street, she was suddenly bumped by a guy. Cagalli fell down on her butt.

"Hey! Ah!" Cagalli shouted.

"I'm sorry about that."

The person who bumped into her stretched out his arm and offered a hand to help. Cagalli stared at the guy's face for a while. She couldn't move and she felt like jelly at the moment. The guy was really handsome. He had crystal blue eyes like Lacus and dark brown hair. He was like knight. Suddenly her thoughts shifted to Athrun. Her cheeks turned red as she thought about her green-eyed friend. If the guy who bumped into her was a knight then Athrun was a prince to her.

"Um… Miss… you okay?" he asked.

Snapping back to reality, Cagalli slapped his hand away and stood. She clenched her fist and stared at him angrily.

"Watch where you're going next time? A girl could get hurt…" Cagalli told him.

"I'm sorry it's my bad. I was in a hurry." He apologized.

"It's okay no harm done." Cagalli replied. "By the way I'm Cagalli…"

"The name's Kai…"

**To be continued….**

* * *

Jc: Chapter 6 has ended. Don't forget to review and no flaming… Chapter 7 coming up soon.

_Kai will be in the next chapter…_

_Fllay discovers something… what will it be? ;)_


	7. Discovery

JC: Chapter 7 is up. I know that most of you don't like Kai but cut him some slack. He's going to make this fic more interesting.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed but I own Jean and Kai.

_Shinn meets Cagalli… not so nice_

* * *

**High School Life**

Phase 07: Discovery

_Dominion High_

Stellar was heading towards her classroom when she encountered Kai in the hallways. The blonde girl greeted her fellow classmates who seemed to be in a happy mood. He wore a kind look and a smile on his face.

"Good morning Kai!" Stellar said. "Is Shinn in the classroom?"

"Yeah, he's slacking off as usual." Kai replied. "Can you do a favor and wake him up? Class is going to start in 10 minutes."

Stellar gladly nodded her head and hurried to the classroom. As Stellar entered she saw her red eyed friend sleeping with elbows and head on the desk. He seemed to be sleeping soundly meaning he was tired. Stellar felt bad about disturbing him but it was Kai who said it. She placed her hand of his shoulder and shook him but it wasn't working. Shinn was still asleep.

"Shinn come on wake up." Stellar said.

A certain blonde guy with blue eyes entered the classroom. He saw the sleeping Shinn and determined Stellar. Being one of Shinn's friends Rey knew why he's such a slacker not to mention a troublesome kind of guy. He sighed and went over to them. Stellar noticed Rey's approached.

"You can't wake him by doing that." Rey told Stellar.

"Then what should I do Za Burrel." Stellar called him by his last name.

Rey smiled slyly and whispered something in her ear. Stellar suddenly blushed at what Rey told her. She shook her head rapidly since she didn't want to do it. But Rey said that it was the only way although he sounded like he was lying. Stellar has some doubts about it so she still hesitated. Rey realized that it wasn't going anywhere and class was about to start.

"If you won't do it then I'll find another girl to…" Rey was rudely cut off.

"Okay I'll do it… But are you sure he'll?" Stellar spoke.

"Trust me." Rey assured.

Stellar stared at the sleeping Shinn for a moment. Her cheeks were so red that it can be clearly seen by Rey. Stellar took a deep breathe since she really felt nervous at what she was going to do. Her eyes wandered around the classroom as she checked her classmates. She sighed in relief that they were busy chatting. She looked at Shinn again. Sudden feeling of tense urged all over her body. She closed her eyes and leaned forward. Rey smiled as he saw Stellar placing a kiss on Shinn's cheek. Shinn felt something hit him and he slowly opened his red eyes only to see Stellar's face near to his.

"Stellar? What the!" Shinn thought.

In a flash, Shinn backed away from Stellar. His eyes widened in surprise as if he saw a ghost. He trembled nervously that he fell of his chair. Shinn fell hard on his back but in a stupid way. Shinn growled in pain as he gently rubbed his back. Rey couldn't help but laugh at his red-eyed friend's reaction. Rey's eyes caught Shin's angry eyes.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Rey asked.

Shinn stood right away. He grabbed Rey by the shoulder and slammed him on the wall. Shinn fiercely stared at Rey's blue eyes. Instead of being intimidated, Rey was just smiling at Shinn. Stellar was a bit surprise as well since Shinn looks scary at the moment. But before things gets worst Stellar grabbed Shinn's arm and held it tight. Shinn froze like a Popsicle as his cheeks became red. Stellar clasped her hand and bowed her head at Shinn. She apologized for what she did.

"Um… You don't have to because I know that Rey here made you do it." Shinn glared back at Rey.

"I thought you'll like it." Rey said.

"Well um… You've gotta be… erm…" Shinn couldn't find the words to answer back.

Shinn wasn't all mad at Rey since he felt kind of happy because Stellar kissed him. He wanted to jump out with joy and yelled out Stellar's name to all the students. Well, the fact that Stellar was there made him stop. Rey smiled and patted Shinn on the shoulder.

"No need to thank me." Rey softly spoke.

Rey headed back to his seat seeing that the teacher was already there. Stellar took her seat was well. Shinn sat down feeling his right cheek where Stellar placed a kiss. A very light and sweet kiss which made Shinn felt all warm and fuzzy inside. It was a wonderful feeling.

_Minerva High (I suck at basketball)_

It was time for Gym class so the students of 1-d were currently changing their attire in the locker.

Cagalli was very excited for gym class since it was her favorite. Lacus sighed as she envied her blonde friend a little. Of course Lacus is talented, smart, and pretty but not athletic. Still Cagalli supports her and always told her to give it the best. When they were all set Cagalli and Lacus exited the locker along with their fellow female classmates. They went to the gym where the teacher, Mu La Fllaga, was waiting for them. The boys were all lined up behind the blonde teacher. Mu blew his whistle and informed the girls to line up. They lined up right away with Cagalli being the first and Lacus the second. Cagalli took a glimpse of Athrun who was staring right at her. Athrun quickly turned his head as a slight blush came to his face.

"Huh? Did Athrun just…? Nah…" Cagalli silently thought.

Mu La Fllaga took a quick look on his list. The names of Athrun and Kira caught his attention. He called their attention. Kira and Athrun stepped forward at the sound of his voice. Mu had a deep commanding voice that would be best suited for the military. Mu picked up two basketballs and threw it over to them. Kira and Athrun swiftly caught it in their hands.

"Nice catch… I want you two to play one on one." Mu told them.

Without complaining the best friends marched over to the court. Athrun threw his ball at Cagalli which she caught it. Kira started bouncing the ball slowly then rapidly. Athrun stretched out his arms and stayed on guard. Athrun watched for any sudden moves Kira would make. Kira tried to break in from the left but Athrun kept a tight defense.

"Let's see if you can stop this." Kira said.

Kira suddenly rose up and was about to throw the ball when Athrun's hand appeared in front of the ball. Kira smiled and took the ball away. He quickly charged on and made a hook shot. Two points for Kira Yamato. Athrun smiled at his best friend success but he also gave a I'll get you back look.

"The fake was pretty good Yamato." Mu commented.

"Thank you sir." Kira replied.

It was now Kira's turn to play defense and Athrun to play offense. As Cagalli watched them she felt a slight tense building inside. She wanted to cheer out for Athrun but she knew that the teacher would get mad for being noisy.

Athrun bounced the ball as he kept his guard up for Kira. Athrun was more of the defensive type. Kira on the other hand waited for the opportunity to steal the ball from Athrun but Athrun never gave an opening.

"Show me what you got." Kira said.

"Okay then!" Athrun replied.

Athrun suddenly jumped high and threw the ball. It landed dead on in the basket. Kira couldn't believe it because he thought that Athrun would just fake it but he was wrong. He sighed and complimented Athrun on his score. Both of them were now tied. Mu La Fllaga was very impressed with their skills.

_After school, 5:30 PM_

Lacus was staying late at school since she still had singing practice. Kira wanted to stay with her but Lacus told him that it was okay. Kira walked home together with Cagalli. Lacus watched them leave the school through the window. Again she was stunned by their similar appearances. Cagalli once told Lacus that she had a twin brother. Lacus couldn't help but wonder. (Now she's acting like Athrun)

Her thoughts quickly shifted to Kira Yamato who meant so much to her heart. She knew what she felt about him and it was love. Her heart would always beat so fast when she sees him. Those wonderful purple eyes that she solely admired were like jewels so shiny that would glitter in her own blue eyes. Kira was like a part of her dreams only it was real. But maybe it was only a dream to her because she wasn't sure with her life. She was engaged to marry to her good friend Athrun Zala who was also Kira's childhood friend. How she wanted to cry so hard in front of Kira but she stayed strong. Her world will shutter once more like in the days of her childhood. But there will always be a light of hope to take her away from the darkness, a light like Cagalli who freed her once from the loneliness of being alone.

"I love Kira… but can I really do something to stop the engagement." Lacus spoke.

"We can do it, Lacus…"

Lacus turned to the door and saw a familiar face. It was her fiancé, Athrun Zala. Instead of a smile she showed him a frown. Athrun understood how she felt as he felt the same way as well. Athrun couldn't stand the idea of arranged marriages. He wanted to give his father a piece of his mind.

"How?" Lacus asked.

"You told me that your father is an understanding man." Athrun told her. "Why don't you try talking to him and tell him that you're in love with someone else?"

Lacus suddenly remembered what she said a while ago. She said it out loud so Athrun probably heard it. Athrun told her that her secret is safe. Feeling relief at his words of promise, she sat down and viewed the surrounding of the outside through the window. It was getting very dark.

"I think I should phone home to pick me up." Lacus said.

"So will you try talking to him?" Athrun asked.

"He will not listen. He's really looking forward to our marriage Athrun." Lacus replied.

"Then there's only one thing left to do." Athrun implied.

"What!" Lacus got curious.

"If we can convince them by words then let's use actions instead." Athrun said. "We can pull this whole engagement thing Lacus, you'll see."

Lacus and Athrun continued talking about their plan not knowing that someone was eavesdropping on them. She heard everything most especially about the engagement part. She smiled slyly and clasped her hands. She left the scene and entered a room. The girl leaned against the wall with her eyes fixed on the ceiling. She placed her arm on her forehead as she started laughing maniacally. With the information she got she was sure that Kira was all hers.

"Kira's all mine…" Fllay murmured.

_Park 8:30 A.M._

It was a bright and beautiful Saturday morning. Cagalli was doing her usual laps around the park. She just enjoys a good exercise. When she reached twenty laps she decided to rest on bench under a tree. A soothing but cool wind passed by which felt good as it touched her skin. Cagalli took a deep breathe and smelled the scent of flowers. That morning was just too perfect for her the only thing missing was a certain guy that pictured in her mind.

"Athrun…" Cagalli muttered.

Cagalli's eyes caught sight of a familiar brown haired guy. When the guy turned around she immediately recognized him. It was the same guy she bumped into the other day. She quickly raised her arm and waved at him.

"Hey Kai!" Cagalli called.

Kai heard his name being called. He checked to see who it was. He smiled as he saw the blonde girl he met. He rushed towards to her and sat down beside her.

"You still remember me." Kai said. "You're Cagalli right?"

"Yup! Cagalli Yula Attha to be exact." Cagalli replied.

"Well my full name is Kai Kazuya." Kai said. "You come here often?"

The two of them became official friends and they even chatted about their hobbies, likes and dislikes. Kai was really interested in Cagalli that seemed to amaze him. Suddenly he paused briefly to think about her name. Cagalli Yula Attha sounded very familiar to him.

"Cagalli are you from Minerva High?" Kai asked.

"Yeah… How about you?" Cagalli said.

"No way so you're the Cagalli who's good in sports." Kai said.

"Well not really." Cagalli started blushing.

She didn't realize how popular she became in High School. Sports were always her passion but she has no idea that it would lead her to fame. But being popular really didn't matter to her since she's just an ordinary girl like the rest of her classmates.

Kai started to sound like a fan asking Cagalli for an autograph or something. Why can't people just act normal around her like Lacus, Kira, and Athrun? Her classmates would always go "Oh Cagalli you're so good… Cagalli I want to be as good as you" which made her want to throw up seriously. Before she spoke her eyes widened as she saw Stellar with Shinn. She could see Stellar smiling, not scared, but smiling at the trouble-maker Shinn Asuka.

"Shinn, Stellar hey!" Kai greeted them.

Stellar noticed Cagalli beside Kai. She pulled Cagalli from the bench and placed her in front of Shinn. As usual Shinn would always look furious in front of other people but that didn't scare Cagalli at all. Stellar started the introductions.

"Cagalli, this is my friend Shinn Asuka." Stellar said. "Shinn this is Cagalli."

"I've heard about you Shinn." Cagalli held out her hand.

Shinn ignored her hand and turned away from her. This pissed Cagalli a little but she can deal with patience. Kai stood and went over to Stellar's side. He tapped on her shoulder. He was curious how Stellar knows Cagalli.

"How do you know Cagalli?" Kai asked.

"She was my classmate from kindergarten to the 2nd grade." Stellar said.

When Kai and Stellar talked, Shinn tapped his foot rapidly on the ground. Realizing that they will have a long conversation, Shinn bumped into Cagalli's left shoulder. Cagalli was pushed aside but as she saw Shinn, he was already seated on the bench. She gritted her teeth and clenched a fist. The guy was really getting into her nerves but she reminded herself to calm down. Cagalli breathe in and out to drain out her temper. She decided to sit down but Shinn stopped her.

"Hey I now own this bench." Shinn said.

That was the last straw. Cagalli couldn't take it much longer. Her temper has reached the critical limits. She suddenly grabbed Shinn by the collar and pulled him closer to her. Stellar and Kai saw what was happening and tried to stop them. Kai held back Shinn while Stellar took care of Cagalli. The two hot heads struggled to break free.

"Let me go Stellar!" Cagalli demanded. "I'm going to give this guy a piece of my mind!"

"Kai let me go!" Shinn yelled.

Stellar have to remind herself that two impatient friends don't match. Shinn was itching for trouble and he picked Cagalli to lead him. Stellar started to lose her grip on Cagalli. She tried to tighten her grip but Cagalli was too strong for her.

"Cagalli stop…" Stellar told her.

Cagalli wouldn't listen. She finally broke free and attacked Shinn. She gave him a good punch right on the stomach. Stellar and Kai gasped at Cagalli's rampage. Shinn fell to his knees as he held his stomach. His eyes filled with rage focused on the golden brown eyes of Cagalli. He was fuming mad at Cagalli but she felt relief at what she did. Revenge is so sweet for her.

"Wow… Cagalli's strong…" That's all Kai was thinking right now.

Shinn was now so ready to beat the stuffing out of Cagalli until Stellar stopped him. She reminded Shinn that Cagalli is a girl and she should be respected. Shinn couldn't resist Stellar so he placed his fist down. Cagalli sighed in relief as she thought that things would get worse. Still if Shinn continued she was ready to defend herself.

"You two shouldn't be together." Kai said.

"Yeah… Come on Shinn." Stellar said pulling Shinn with her.

Cagalli crossed her arms and smiled feeling triumphant over Shinn.

"I've never seen a girl as tough as you." Kai told Cagalli.

"He was pushing it." Cagalli said.

"You have to forgive my friend." Kai apologized for Shinn.

"No worries." Cagalli replied.

"You're really something Cagalli." Kai thought.

_Alster Mansion_

Fllay was practicing her routines in the garden with her sisters watching her. Lunamaria and Meyrin enjoyed watching her performed her cheerleading routines. Fllay was doing some back flips, splits, and baton throwing. As the music ended, Fllay threw her baton so high and back flip twice. The baton started falling down and landed safely in her hand. She faced her sisters and bowed down. Luna and Meyrin clapped their hands for the performance.

"You're awesome as usual Fllay." Meyrin complimented.

"Nice job." Luna added.

"Thanks." Fllay said.

Fllay went to her room to change her clothes. After changing she hopped onto bed and stared at Kira's picture. She was so madly in love with Kira that she will do anything for him to notice her. Now that she knows one big secret of Lacus, she's sure to have Kira all to herself.

**To be continued…**

* * *

JC: end of chapter 7. Nothing romantic yet here… Pls. don't forget to review and no flaming.

_Lacus X Kira moments next chapter_

_Athrun meets Kai… Jealousy unravels_


	8. Confessions

JC: Thanks for the review! Chapter 8 is ready. As promised, there will be Kira and Lacus moments.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed but I own Kai Kazuya and Jean Corda.

_Kira and Lacus moments here... _

* * *

**High School Life**

Phase 08: Confessions

Cagalli toured the mall with Stellar, Shinn and Kai. She didn't mind Shinn coming along but still they have trouble socializing with one another. They weren't different since both of them share almost the same personality but not totally. They stopped by at a hot dog stand. Cagalli was getting pretty hungry from walking so she bought one chili dog. She took a big bite out of it.

"Hmm... Good." Cagalli murmured.

Kai also bought one for himself. Stellar was about to pull out her wallet when Shinn grabbed her hand. The blonde caught his red orbs staring seriously at her. He reached in for some money in his pockets and bought two hotdogs. He handed one to Stellar. She knew that Shinn was treating her so she didn't mind. She grabbed the hotdog and started eating it. She paused for a moment and looked at Shinn.

"Um... Shinn thanks..." Stellar said.

Shinn's face turned slightly red. He hurriedly ate his hotdog, getting mustard all over his mouth. Stellar giggled at his messy face. She pulled out her handkerchief and gently wiped the mustard off. When Stellar was doing so, Shinn glanced at her purple eyes full of compassion and innocence. As her hand was near her face, Shinn held it and rubbed it in his face. He closed his eyes as he felt Stellar's soft hand. It was a good feeling for him. Stellar couldn't help but blushed as well. She was surprised at Shinn's action.

"Shinn... I wonder if I can tell you how I feel..." Stellar thought.

Kai and Cagalli watched the pair from a distance. Cagalli couldn't believe her eyes. Shinn was actually nice with Stellar. He's like a total different person around her which is really a good thing. Cagalli sensed that Stellar and Shinn would make a great couple. Kai thought of the same thing.

_Clyne Mansion_

Kira paid a visit in the Clyne Mansion. He couldn't wait for school to see his pink-haired friend again. But seeing Lacus wasn't the only reason he visited, it was also because Cagalli told him that Lacus was having problems.

**Flashback**

_10:30 PM_

Kira was ready to go to bed when the phone rang. He moaned a bit and reached for the telephone. Feeling a slight hesitation he spoke with a heavy tone.

"Kira, it's me Cagalli."

Instantly, he's eyes opened wide as he heard the voice of his blonde friend. By the sound of Cagalli's voice it seemed that she was feeling nervous for some reason. Kira questioned her phone call and why during this time of night!

"I can sense that something is wrong with Lacus." Cagalli answered. "It seems she doesn't want to talk about it to me."

"Lacus? She looks fine to me." Kira said.

"Kira, I'm her best friend and I can feel that something's wrong with her." Cagalli told him. "If she doesn't want to tell me then maybe she can tell you."

**END**

Now there he was in front of the big Clyne mansion waiting for someone to open the door since he was standing there for the last 3 minutes. He already knocked on the door but still no answer. Patient as he is, Kira still has limits. He was about to bang his fist on the door until it opened widely. It revealed an old man dressed in a black tuxedo. Kira knew that he was the butler.

"I'm here to see my friend Lacus." Kira said.

"Please come in sir." The butler said.

He was expecting more like "I'm sorry to keep you waiting sir" but hey he just let it go. He came to visit Lacus not to complain to a butler all day. Kira made his way to the garden where he saw Lacus admiring the white roses but it appears that she wasn't alone. She had company which came in a form of girl about his age with eyes that were so similar to Athrun's. It was none other than Jean Corda.

"So Jean is here..." Kira sighed.

Jean and Lacus noticed his presence. Lacus was most delighted to see him. She quickly went over to Kira's side. Kira noticed that she was smiling and he thought that she was having problems like Cagalli said. But Cagalli could be wrong about that since Lacus seems to be in a happy mood or maybe because Jean was there.

"I'll go get some snack for you and Jean." Lacus said.

She hurried to the kitchen leaving Jean and Kira alone. Jean wasn't really a talker so Kira started questioning her. Jean felt a little shy replying to Kira's questions... Well she's always like that with other people. But one question from Jean gave Kira a surprise which made him silent.

"Do you love Lacus?" Jean asked.

Kira didn't know what to answer. Of course he wanted to tell Jean that he loves Lacus so much. He wanted to yell out that Lacus is the most beautiful girl ever. But his mind stopped in doing so and he would look like a fool. He sighed and turned his head at Jean. He gave out a faint smile and nodded.

"So you do... I knew it." Jean said. "I know love when I see it."

"Huh?" Kira puzzled.

"I've been observing you, Kira. Whenever you're with Lacus you seem different. I can see it in you eyes clearly." Jean explained.

Unbelievable, Jean could see right through him. She figured out what he felt for Lacus. Jean would know these things because she was like a matchmaker.

Kira asked Jean if he has a chance with Lacus. He wanted to tell Lacus those three simple words that were written in his heart. He purple eyes turned to the white roses which was Lacus' favorite flower. As beautiful it can be Lacus was still far more beautiful to him. His heart was going to explode if he didn't let it all out.

Jean placed a hand on his shoulder. Kira turned to glance at the red haired girl. An assured smile was on her face an indication that Kira does have a chance because she knew something that Kira didn't know. She also knew that Lacus also loves Kira.

The pink princess returned carrying a tray of cookies and tea. She placed it on the table. Suddenly a little green bird perched on her shoulder which startled her a bit. She glanced at the little bird but noticed that it wasn't a bird at all.

"Birdy... What are you doing here?" Kira asked the mechanical bird.

"So this is yours?" Lacus asked as she patted the bird's head.

Kira nodded his head. The little bird flew to Kira's head. He smiled and looked at Lacus.

"Where did you get that?" Jean questioned Kira as she adored the little thing.

"It was made by Athrun then he gave it to me as a gift." Kira replied.

Athrun was a genius when it comes to machines and computers. He has built lots of things already but the Birdy was considered to be his greatest work. Kira really appreciated the gift.

At the sound of Athrun's name Lacus gave out a small sigh. Her thoughts rolled back to the engagement plan of her father. It troubled her so much and yet as she looked at Kira her heart is at ease.

Jean realized that it would be best to leave Lacus and Kira together so she made up an excuse like I have an appointment with my doctor and quickly left the Clyne Mansion. Before she could walk away from the place she stopped and stared back, at the same time thinking about Kira.

"Kira, Lacus loves you so you don't have to worry." Jean thought.

Lacus placed herself at Kira's side with an expression of sadness on her face. At that moment Kira realized that Cagalli was right... He might say a girl's intuition but it was more like a friend's intuition. He should have believed Cagalli since she has been Lacus' best friend for so long. Kira felt a little awkward asking Lacus but if he wanted to know the problem then he should ask. So he gave it a shot hoping that he could give her an advice or some cheering up.

"Lacus, what's the matter?" Kira said it.

"Nothing is wrong Kira... I'm perfectly fine." Lacus lied.

By the look on Lacus' face, Kira knew that she was lying. Lacus was a kind and honest girl and lying is not really her thing.

"Cagalli called me last night. She asked me to talk to you. She was worried about you." Kira told her.

"Cagalli knows me too well." Lacus muttered. "I don't know how I can tell you this Kira..."

Tell me what? The question rolled in Kira's head as he waited for Lacus to tell him. Lacus felt a hesitation in heart but she must tell him no matter what. Kira was her friend and he must know what was going on between her and Athrun. But a heavy feeling kept her from saying it. She felt her heart was going to break. Lacus couldn't stand it any longer. She looked at Kira with eyes that wanted to cry. As tears rolled down on her face, she trembled nervously and her hand turned cold.

Kira got more worried since Lacus was now crying. He glanced at her face bearing a sad meaning. What was wrong with her? What can I do? Kira didn't know what to do.

"Kira... I...I... Love you..." Lacus said.

After those words came out, she suddenly brought herself to Kira's chest. Those words shocked him. He said nothing and did nothing but froze for a while in silence. All this time he doubted that he had no chance in Lacus' heart but he was wrong. She loves him and he was now he was ready to tell her.

Kira placed his arms around the pink-princess who was still crying endlessly on his chest. He brushed through her soft hair trying to comfort her.

"I love you too..." Kira muttered softly.

Lacus paused at what he said. Her eyes widened as she faced Kira. Her crystal blue eyes showed tears. Kira smiled and gladly wiped it with his finger. He touched her soft and smooth face never letting his sight off of her.

"Lacus I love you so much and I care for you so please stop crying." Kira spoke.

But she started crying again but the tears she showed weren't sadness but joy because Kira told her that he loves her. It was like the angels have answered her prayer. Lacus never felt so happy in her entire life. There she was in the arms of the person she admires and loves. Even though she admitted her feelings to him, she still had a heavy burden in her heart.

Nevertheless Kira could careless about asking her more since what's important to him was Lacus. Jean was right and he reminded himself to thank her the next day.

_Cagalli's Neighborhood_

Cagalli, Kai, Shinn, and Stellar were walking towards Cagalli's house. Stellar wanted so much to see where Cagalli was living and she managed to persuade Shinn to come along. Kai agreed to come right away since he wanted to know so much about Cagalli. As they sighted the house, Cagalli suddenly increased her walking speed.

Shinn decided to pull one of his tricks again. So he quickly caught up with Cagalli and placed a foot in front of Cagalli which caused her to trip. At the same time Athrun spotted them and was about to call Cagalli's attention until Kai saved her from falling. Cagalli was now in Kai's arms which kind of flinched Athrun.

Seeing her current position, Cagalli blushed madly and backed away from Kai. She turned around so she could hide the embarrassing redness of her cheeks.

Shinn snapped his finger and stomp his foot on the ground since his trick backfired. He was hoping to get back at Cagalli but Kai had to save her. Unluckily for him Stellar saw the whole tripping thing and scolded him for that.

Cagalli knew that it was no accident. She quickly turned to Shinn and glared fiercely at him.

"Bastard! You're going to pay for that." Cagalli yelled.

"Make me..." Shinn teased.

Cagalli was about to launch an attack on the annoying red eyed guy when somebody held her back. She noticed that a set of arms were around her waist. Well... she totally blushed again. She slowly turned her head expecting to see Kai but it wasn't. It was... OMG! ATHRUN! Now her face was bright as a red Christmas bulb. Her heart pounded like crazy as she stared into those luscious emerald green eyes.

"You should really learn how to be patient Cagalli." Athrun said.

"Um... Well Patience is not a virtue for me." Cagalli spoke nervously. "Can...You let... me go now?"

"Oops sorry about that." Athrun released his arms around her.

Kai narrowed his eyes at the blue haired guy who seemed to know Cagalli so well. But when Cagalli glanced at him, his frown turned into a big smile.

"Kai, Stellar, and cough Shinn... I want you to meet my friend Athrun Zala." Cagalli introduced.

Did he just hear it right? He was only her friend. Kai felt so relief because he thought that Athrun was actually her boyfriend. But why did he get the feeling the Athrun is a big threat to him...

"Nice to meet you, Athrun Zala by the way I'm Stellar Loussier." Stellar said.

Athrun turned his attention to the guy beside Stellar. He had his arms crossed and his eyes closed. It was obvious he was still pissed. But Athrun somewhat recognized him as if they met before. Then it just hit him, of course Shinn was the guy he met the other day who beat the stuffing of some guys.

"You're that guy I met..." Athrun spoke.

"Yeah... And I remember you clearly." Shinn glared. "You give a good punch but I'll get you back."

"Shinn stop it with the threats!" Stellar told him.

"So this guy actually hit you Shinn? In total this case two persons have already hit you." Kai remarked.

"Huh? What is he saying Cagalli?" Athrun turned to Cagalli.

Cagalli gave out a small laugh.

"You see I managed to punch him too." Cagalli replied.

Everyone laughed except for Shinn who felt more pissed by the minute. Shinn started walking away from them. Feeling concern, Stellar went after him.

"Shinn is always like that. Don't let him get to you." Kai told Cagalli.

"I've seen worse guys than him." Cagalli said.

Kai grabbed Cagalli's hand and pulled her. She did promise him that she would show her house. Cagalli stopped and looked back at Athrun.

"You come too Athrun." Cagalli said.

Athrun noticed Kai still holding on the Cagalli's hand. He wanted to break them apart but it would be just plain rude. Still seeing Cagalli near that Kai ticked him off, he felt... jealous.

**To be continued...**

* * *

JC: Chapter 8 ends here... Next Chapter will be updated soon. Don't forget to review and don't give me flames.

_Kira and Lacus is officially a couple now..._

_Lacus tells Athrun, Cagalli, and Jean about it..._

_What will Fllay do if she finds out? _

_Athrun and Lacus yet to tell their friends about their secret._


	9. Dilemma

JC: Thanks for the reviews. Chapter 9 is up! Pls. read and I hope you don't forget to review.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed but I own Kai and Jean.

**High School Life**

Phase 09: Dilemma

It was already 5 PM and the running club still hasn't finished their practice. The team was training hard since the championships were coming. The coach especially focused on the star player Cagalli. She was like training in hell but it didn't bother her. She knew that the whole team was depending on her and she couldn't let them down.

Athrun watched Cagalli from a certain distance. He wanted to wait for Cagalli to finish so they could go home together. After 30 minutes the practice ended and Athrun sighed in relief because he was standing in the same position for a while and he really felt tired. He decided to go meet Cagalli at the school gate.

Cagalli entered the locker room. She took a seat and grabbed a towel. She was totally drenched in sweat. Cagalli started wiping the sweat off her neck and forehead. She drank some water first before changing clothes.

"Cagalli great job today… You're doing fine as usual." One of the girls told her.

"Thanks." Cagalli said.

"With you on our side, the team will win." Another girl said.

"Please don't say that. You girls are all fine players." Cagalli said.

"But we're not as good as you." The first girl told her.

Cagalli felt that conversation wasn't going anywhere so she quickly changed her clothes and left. She appreciated the girls' compliment about her but she didn't want that kind of attention. She just wished to be treated like everyone else not like some hot shot student. She stared at the ground as she walked towards the gate. Since she wasn't looking she accidentally bumped into Athrun.

"Ah! Oh it's you Athrun… I'm sorry about that." Cagalli apologized.

"You seem depressed. Is something the matter?" Athrun asked.

"Huh? No! I'm just tired that's all." Cagalli told him. "Hey before we go home let's stop by at the park okay?"

"Sure." Athrun answered.

Cagalli grabbed Athrun's and pulled him. She dragged him all the way to the park while running. He couldn't believe that Cagalli was still energetic after all that hard training. When they reached the park Athrun fell to his knees and breathe heavily because he was extremely tired from all that running. Cagalli just laughed at him a little.

"Hey I'm not a runner like you." Athrun told her.

"I know… Now come on." Cagalli urged him.

They sat down under a tree near the flower patch. The wind blew pass them which was cool and refreshing. Cagalli threw herself down at the soft grass as she stared at the sky. She closed her eyes for the reason that it helps her relax. Athrun couldn't help but stare at his blonde companion. As the wind blew her golden locks he wanted to brush his hands through it. He even wanted to hug her so tightly in his arms like a giant cuddly teddy bear. His burning emotions roared inside his heart. His slowly lifted his hand and aimed towards Cagalli's hair when she suddenly opened her eyes. Athrun pulled back his hand and turned the other way. Cagalli glanced at her blue-haired friend and noticed his blush on his face. Cagalli giggled silently and moved a little closer to Athrun. She leaned her head on his shoulders and closed her eyes again. Athrun felt so surprise but happy as well.

"I feel so tired… I think I'm going to sleep for a…" Cagalli yawned.

She covered her mouth with her hand and then she fell asleep. Athrun smiled as he looked at Cagalli's face. He thought it to be very cute. He turned his attention at his surroundings.

"I want to tell Cagalli how I feel about her…" Athrun silently thought. "But what can I do to solve my engagement problem?"

By the time he thought about his predicament, he heard Cagalli mumbling about something. He looked at Cagalli but he noticed that she was still sleeping.

"Athrun…" Cagalli muttered.

His eyes widened as the mere mention of his name. He smiled at the same time as he shifted Cagalli's position. She was now leaning on Athrun's chest while his arms surrounded her. He pulled her into a tight hug, the warm hug that Athrun yearned for. He didn't care even if he would wake Cagalli. He didn't care if Cagalli would get mad at him. All he cared about was being with Cagalli and being able to hold her like that. Athrun's emotions exploded seeing that his heart was telling him that he loves Cagalli so much.

_Dominion High?_

Shinn got himself in trouble again with a group of boys. He was beating the hell out of those lowlifes and he was truly enjoying it. Fighting was what makes him feel so lively. When he finished thrashing the guys, he gave them a warning or more like a dead threat. The guys just ran away like a bunch of chickens. Shinn narrowed his eyes as he noticed a trail of blood coming from his mouth.

"Darn one of those guys managed to hit me." Shinn groaned.

When he was about to wipe it off with his hands, somebody suddenly handed him a handkerchief. He turned his head to the handkerchief's owner. He was stunned to see that it was Stellar. As usual he blushes in front of her and tries to hide it by looking away. But Stellar tilted his head towards her and wiped the blood from his mouth. Shinn felt a little awkward and scratched his head.

"Did you just witness all that?" Shinn asked.

"You mean the fight… Yes." Stellar answered.

"I'm sorry if you had to see that." Shinn said.

"Don't be… But Shinn you should really stop being the tough guy." Stellar told him.

"What! No… I can't." Shinn replied.

Stellar smiled while she lifted both of Shinn's hand. She stared deeply into those red eyes so much that she could see herself. She closed her eyes and buried her face on his chest. She could hear Shinn's heart pumping so fast. She glanced at him. She ran her hand through his face and hair. Shinn couldn't say anything, not even a single word due to the fact that he was frozen like ice at the moment. Stellar being like this with him was highly unbelievable but his heart told him something else. The love he felt for Stellar was burning. His hands found their way around Stellar's waist. Oh man he was like in heaven and Stellar was his angel. Stellar softened her eyes as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Shinn smiled.

"Okay I'll try…" Shinn spoke.

"I know you will." Stellar said.

"Stellar I love you." Shinn said.

"I love you too, Shinn Asuka." Stellar replied.

Suddenly the alarm clock rang which made Shinn fell out of bed. He quickly stood and turned his head around. He fell to his knees and sighed. It was all a dream, a wonderful dream that he wished to come true. It was like the real thing. He rubbed his head since he fell on it hard. The alarm clock was still ringing which started to annoy him. He grabbed the clock and threw it at the wall. SMASH! Shinn broke it. His little sister, Mayu, came in and saw the destroyed alarm clock on the floor. She glared at Shinn furiously.

"You broke it! That's the tenth alarm clock big brother!" Mayu yelled.

"Whatever! And don't yell at your older brother." Shinn told her.

"Shut up!" Mayu replied.

_Dominion High (For real this time) _

Shinn was sitting peacefully or more like daydreaming about Stellar until Kai startled him. Shinn's chair tilted and fell. Kai laughed so hard at his friend. Shinn stood and immediately grabbed Kai by the collar. He raised his fist at his blue-eyed friend. Kai wasn't even afraid not a bit.

"Whoa! Just calm down Shinn." Kai said.

"You're really going to get it this time Kai!" Shinn threaten.

Shinn was about to punch dead on the face until Stellar came in. He quickly paused and released Kai from his tight grip. Kai arranged his clothes and turned to Shinn. Shinn still had his eyes on Kai.

"Good morning Shinn!" Stellar greeted. "Good morning Kai."

"Good morning." Shinn and Kai said at the same time.

Shinn thought about the wonderful dream he had. Just imagining about it made him so pleased inside. He wanted to tell Kai about it but he knew that Kai would spill the beans so he decided to tell Rey since he was the quiet one.

_Minerva High_

When Kira and Lacus arrived at school they told Athrun and Cagalli about their formed relationship. Cagalli knew that Lacus liked Kira very much but she would have never guessed that the two of them actually became a couple. It was good news that she planned to tell the whole class but Lacus stopped her from doing so. Cagalli asked for the reason and Lacus reminded her about Fllay's letter to Kira.

"Oh yeah that Alster likes Kira a lot." Cagalli said.

"It's better if we keep this to ourselves. I don't want any trouble from Alster." Lacus said.

"Well if you say so then okay." Cagalli replied.

Jean peeked inside room 1-d and spotted Lacus. She called Lacus and waved her hand. Lacus saw her and approached her. She handed Lacus a letter from Fllay Alster.

"She asked I mean ordered me to give this to you." Jean said.

Lacus opened the envelope and started reading the letter. After reading it, she gasped in horror. Jean grabbed the letter from her and read it as well. It was stated there that Fllay knew about the engagement between Lacus and Athrun. The part about the engagement was no surprise to Jean since Lacus has already told her but the thing that Fllay knew was a mystery. She was like how the hell Fllay found out! Lacus got worried thinking of what Fllay might do.

"Knowing Alster she might probably tell the whole school." Jean told Lacus.

"What should we do?" Lacus asked.

"I dunno…" Jean said.

Jean read the letter again. She noticed that there was something written in the back. It was a note telling Lacus to meet Fllay after school.

"So are you going?" Jean asked.

"I don't know what Alster is planning but I have to talk some sense into her." Lacus said.

Athrun accompanied Cagalli to the gym. She wanted to play a little basketball. She got out the ball and started bouncing it. Cagalli invited Athrun to join her and he immediately agreed. She was up on offence first.

"Here I come." Cagalli said.

"I won't let you through." Athrun told her.

Cagalli went to the left but Athrun quickly blocked her away. She tried to pass on the right still Athrun kept a tight defense. Cagalli decided to make a fake then a jump shot so she moved to the left and Athrun quickly blocked but she aimed for the jump. Instead of floating into the air she accidentally stepped on her shoelace and fell on Athrun. In their current position Cagalli was now on top of Athrun.

"Athrun I'm so sorry." Cagalli said.

"It's all right." Athrun replied.

When they came to realize their situation, they both blushed madly. Cagalli immediately got off of him and remained seated on the floor. She extended her arm and offered to help Athrun. As soon as he grabbed her hand, Cagalli pulled him hard without even thinking. His face fast approached Cagalli's face and instantly his lips touched hers. Cagalli's eyes just widened with so much excitement and surprise in her heart. She pushed Athrun aside and hurriedly left the gym. Athrun sat there thinking about the whole incident. He placed his finger on his lips and smiled.

Cagalli kept on running. Her mind was set on the part where Athrun actually kissed her. She was so discomfited. Of course she felt glad about it but still… She couldn't believe that it really happened. It was a dream come true for her and if it was still a dream then she would like to be asleep forever.

_After School, Meeting Room_

Lacus waited for Fllay to show up. She felt nervous to see or talk to Fllay all by herself. She has known Fllay since middle school and she remembered how low Fllay can be. Fllay always tried to challenge Lacus in many sort of things but Lacus never treated her as rival in fact she wanted Fllay to be her friend. Fllay was a stubborn girl and refuses to listen to Lacus.

"Good you're here…" Fllay said.

Fllay entered the room and closed the door behind her. She approached Lacus and stared deviously.

"Let's get down to business shall we? I want you to stay away from Kira." Fllay told her.

"What! No I can't he's my boy… I mean friend." Lacus said.

"I know… But I noticed that he's getting so interested in you and that's not a good thing."

"Alster please understand…"

"Shut your mouth! Stay away from him. I love Kira don't you get it!"

It was no use trying to explain to Fllay. Lacus silenced herself and looked away from the red head girl. Fllay got angry and quickly grabbed Lacus' arm. She pushed Lacus against the wall and gripped her neck. Lacus had hard time breathing. She begged Fllay to stop but she didn't listen.

"If you won't stay away from Kira then I'll tell your little secret." Fllay said.

Lacus was running out of hair. Fllay could very well see that so she pushed Lacus to the floor. Lacus coughed and took a deep breathe. She rubbed her neck to ease the pain. She glanced at the angry Fllay with kind eyes. No matter what Fllay did to her, Lacus still showed no forms of hatred. Instead of feeling ease Fllay felt pissed more and more.

"I'm warning you Clyne. Stay away from Kira or else." Fllay said.

At that last remark Fllay walked out of the room. Lacus cried as she sat there on the floor. She couldn't just do what Fllay wanted. Kira was her boyfriend now and Lacus really loves him. She made up her mind. In order to fix this she must break the engagement.

**To be continued…**

JC: End of chapter 9. Please give me reviews not flames. Chapter 10 will be updated soon.

_Fllay is a real pain… lol_

_Kira learns about the picture of the twins which will give him quite a shock._


	10. Truth

JC: Thanks for the reviews… Here's chapter 10. Please read and I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed.

_I don't have anything so say just… Please read._

* * *

**High School Life**

Phase 10: Truth

After the harsh conversation with Fllay, Lacus went straight home. She cried in her bedroom for minutes as she remembered what Fllay told her. Fllay wanted Lacus to stay away from Kira but how can she. Lacus loves Kira so much and she always wants to be with him. She didn't know what to do. If she didn't do what Fllay told her then she'll be a nuisance for her whole high school life. She looked out the window, admiring the scenery of her flower garden. She clasped her hands together and sighed.

"What should I do? I'm so lost." Lacus muttered.

Her phone rang. Lacus immediately picked it up. She held the phone by her ear. A smile came to her face as she heard Cagalli's voice from the phone. Tears fell from her crystal blue eyes while Cagalli talked about her hard training from practice. She felt so uplifted just by the sound of her best friend's voice. No matter how big her problem was, Cagalli always managed to cheer her up. So without hesitation she told Cagalli about her meeting with Fllay Alster. A loud shrieked from Cagalli could be heard after Lacus explained the details. Cagalli was freaking mad at Fllay for what she did to her pink haired friend. Lacus told her to calm down but as usual Cagalli didn't listen.

"I'm going to give that Alster girl a piece of my mind." Cagalli said. "She can't do that to you! I won't let her get away with it, Lacus."

"Cagalli please I don't want any trouble." Lacus told her.

"NO! I'm going to deal with Alster first thing in the morning!" Cagalli meant it. "I'm going to your house right away to see if you're fine."

"You don't have to do that. I'm perfectly fine." Lacus lied.

"Lacus, you're really bad at lying and I can tell." Cagalli said.

"But Cagalli please…"

"No I'm coming over. I'm worried about you."

Cagalli hanged up the phone. Lacus sighed and placed the phone back to its rightful place. She rested in bed with her face buried in one of her soft pillows. She rolled a bit to the side. She took a picture out of her drawer near the bed. It was a picture of a young Lacus and Cagalli in middle school uniform. Lacus smiled…

"Cagalli… You're always there when I need you." Lacus thought. "How can you be so strong all the time? I wish I was more like you."

Not another minute too soon, Cagalli arrived at the Clyne Mansion. She looked so exhausted since she ran the whole way from home. It was a pretty fair distance but she didn't care as long as she would see Lacus. Cagalli entered Lacus' room and quickly ran towards her. She immediately hugged Lacus so tightly in her arms. Lacus started crying again. Seeing Cagalli cared for her like this made her heart melt, the emotions inside of her just flew out. Cagalli gently pushed her back to face her. She could very well see the tears flowing out of her eyes.

"You're crying… Lacus… I was right coming here." Cagalli said.

"I'm so grateful to have you as a friend Cagalli. Thank you." Lacus told.

"Lacus… Wait for me Fllay… You're going to pay for hurting my best friend." Cagalli thought.

_Minerva High, Hallways (Lockers)_

Kira and Cagalli arrived at the same time in school the next morning. Cagalli opened her locker and placed some books in. Kira noticed a picture stuck at the side of the locker. He couldn't quite see it since it was hidden. Suddenly Fllay Alster arrived and gave Kira a nice and warm embrace. Cagalli groaned and glared at her. Her heart kept telling her to pull her hair, make her regret, fight with her but since Kira was there she tried to be patient. Fllay ran her hand through Kira's brown hair as she smiled widely at him. To think that would make Kira happy, instead it was making him annoyed. He wanted to tell Fllay "hey can you um stop that?" but because of his shyness towards girl well he's a pretty damn gentleman. Okay, Cagalli was just about to explode observing Fllay ahem seducing Kira like that. She immediately pulled Fllay and dragged her outside. Of course she told Kira to wait for her by the locker since she has business with Fllay to take care off.

"Hey let me go you bitch!" Fllay yelled at Cagalli.

Cagalli released her hand at the same time as giving a hard slap on Fllay's face. Fllay paused as she viewed Cagalli in horror. She held her swollen cheek which was bright red now. She looked at the blonde's eyes and noticed that it was full of rage and anger towards her.

"So Lacus told you… I can't believe that she's such a…" Fllay got cut off.

"I won't let you talk trash about my best friend Fllay Alster." Cagalli told her.

"What did you say? You stay out of this." Fllay said.

She reached her critical limit. She showed Fllay nothing but maximum rage. She grabbed Fllay and slammed her to the wall.

"I want you to apologize to Lacus." Cagalli demanded. "And another thing don't ever bother her or Kira again… They're having a good relationship thank you very much."

"What! You mean to tell me that Clyne and Kira are…" Fllay said.

"Yes." Cagalli replied.

She gasped or more like shrieked in despair. Fllay quickly pushed Cagalli aside and ran away. Her thoughts were on Kira. She wasn't just going to accept it. Fllay doesn't like losing especially not to Lacus Clyne. So she had one last resort left… She was going to tell the whole school about Athrun and Lacus' engagement.

Kira peeked into Cagalli locker, looking for the picture he saw a while ago. He spotted it and took it out from the locker. He stared at the picture of a mother holding twin babies in her arms. Somehow he felt that the picture was special and familiar to him. It's like he has seen it before but he couldn't quite remember.

"This picture… I wonder…" Kira thought.

Cagalli came back from her fight with Fllay. She saw Kira holding the picture. She quickly swiped it away from Kira.

"Who told you to get this without my permission?" Cagalli said.

"I'm sorry I got nosy." Kira replied.

"Anyway it's a picture of my real mom and the twins. The blonde hair baby is me and the brown hair baby is my twin brother that I've never seen before."

"Where is he?"

"I dunno… But my foster mother told me that he got adopted by another family."

"I see…"

_Dominion High_

One of the members of the judo club challenged Shinn to a fight. Of course Shinn accepted the challenge since he had so much Pride inside his head. The judo member grabbed him and slammed him on the matt. Shinn kicked his leg and moved away from him. He stood and released a punch but the guy dodged it. The guy gripped Shinn's arm and twisted it but not too much. Shinn felt pain as if his muscles were going to tear apart. Even though being in that predicament, Shinn managed to kick the guy's ahem… You know that… the guy shrieked in pain as he jumped up and down. Shinn put on a sly smile on his face, assured that victory was his for the taking.

"You're no match for me." Shinn boasted.

Shinn pinned the guy down to the floor and gave him a hard punch on the stomach. The guy was knocked out unconscious. The other judo members were amazed by his strength and skills. They did just plan to observe how he fights but they would have never guessed that Shinn could show them serious moves.

"If you guys want to challenge me make sure you sent out strong guys next time." Shinn said.

Shinn stepped out of the Judo Club room. He got a bit of surprise to see Stellar standing right in front of him. It seemed that Stellar waited for him. She smiled, feeling relief to see Shinn okay.

"I got worried. I thought you were hurt." Stellar told him.

"I'm strong Stellar. I don't get hurt easily." Shinn said.

"Wouldn't it be better if you stop being this tough guy?"

"Huh? I can't. I'm already used to this."

I see… Then I can't force you…"

Shinn thought about his sweet dream again. It felt similar but not totally. His stomach growled which made Stellar laughed. Shinn blushed in embarrassment. Stellar held Shinn's arm. Okay now he was blushing because of Stellar.

"I made you lunch Shinn. I hope you'll like my cooking." Stellar said.

"Um… Thanks." Shinn answered.

From a certain distance, two curious boys watched Shinn and Stellar. Actually one of them was the curious one which was Kai and the other one was Rey. Rey didn't want to spy on his friends by Kai dragged him into it.

"Kai, it's not right to spy on them like this." Rey told Kai.

"Shut up Rey… I wanna see how our man Shinn will move on Stellar." Kai said.

Rey sighed and crossed his arms. He leaned against the wall. He was really getting bored just standing there watching Kai watching Shinn and Stellar. To end his nosiness, Rey suddenly pushed Kai revealing him to the soon to be couple. Kai landed flat on the floor on his face.

"I think you'll survive." Rey said.

Shinn and Stellar approached the fallen Kai. Stellar helped Kai up and noticed that his nose was bleeding. Kai assured her that it was nothing to be worry about. He pulled out his hanky and wiped off the blood.

"Did you trip on something Kai?" Stellar asked.

"Well apparently someone pushed me…" Kai glared at Rey. "And I was so busy spying on you two…"

"What did you say!" Shinn asked.

Kai just spilled the beans. One thing that Shinn hated the most was spies and Kai was the number one spy around the campus. Shinn clasped his fist as his eyes narrowed at Kai. Kai backed away a few steps and he turned to Rey.

"Should I be running now?" Kai asked Rey.

"Um… I would say… Yes." Rey answered.

Kai immediately run away and Shinn followed him. Stellar couldn't find the right word to say at the moment. She was so surprised yet happy.

"Those two are really good friends." Stellar said.

"You really think so? I would have to say that they're a cat and a mouse." Rey sarcastically said.

Minerva High

Classes were about to start so all of the students head back to their respective classrooms except for one student, Fllay Alster. She was in the control room, preparing to make an announcement to the whole school. She was seated in a chair with head phones over her head and a microphone in front of her. As soon as the bell rings she'll speak out.

Jean noticed that Fllay was missing from the classroom. She thought Fllay would be coming late but she knew that Fllay was always the early bird. Her heart told her that something was up. She didn't know why but she had a strange feeling that something bad will happen. One of Fllay's friends Mica was seated near her, even though she hated talking to her she still asked her about Fllay.

"Fllay is in the control room. She's going to make an announcement about a very important secret." Mica said.

"What! Secret! Don't tell it's…" Jean thought.

She stood from her seat and ran out of the room. The bell rang and Fllay turned the speaker on. Fllay started with a friendly greeting and talked about certain things. Jean was nearing the desired room hoping that she could get there in time.

"I want to make an announcement about Lacus Clyne…" Fllay said.

Jean gasped at the sound of Lacus' name. She picked up the speed and finally arrived.

"Lacus Clyne is engage to Athrun Zala…" Fllay finished.

But as she glanced at the controls, the lights were off. She tapped the microphone and there was no sound. She stood from her chair and reached for the on-switch when suddenly Jean grabbed her hand.

"Corda! What the hell are you doing here?" Fllay asked.

"Looks like your plan failed." Jean said.

"So you? How dare you?" Fllay shrieked.

"I won't let you ruin Lacus. She's my friend." Jean said. "If you try pulling this stunt again then I'll go tell you on Yamato."

"I'm not going to let you get away with this." Fllay told her.

Instantly Fllay burst out of the room and went straight to the classroom. Jean sighed in relief since she managed to make it in time. Fllay was dumb enough to try it but Jean promised to help Lacus so help she will.

_Room 1-D_

"Wonder what Alster wanted to say about you?" Cagalli asked Lacus.

"I don't know but I'm glad she didn't continue." Lacus replied.

Of course Athrun and Lacus knew what Fllay would announce to the school. It was about their engagement. But both of them wondered why Fllay didn't continue, in any case they felt glad. If their secret was out then they would have no idea how to live with it. Lacus glanced at Athrun with a concern look on her face. Athrun sighed and faintly smiled back at her. He got out a piece of paper and wrote something on it. After writing he handed the paper to Lacus and she read it silently.

_I think it's time that Kira and Cagalli learned about the truth. I feel bad keeping this from them. They're our friends after all._

Lacus glanced at Athrun and nodded her head. It was decided, after class they would tell their best friends about the secret.

_After School, roof top_

Lacus, Kira, Athrun and Cagalli gathered at the rooftop. Lacus has yet to tell them since she was waiting for someone. Cagalli has grown impatient with all the silence around them.

"Okay what are we doing here if we're just going to stare at each other's face?" Cagalli said.

"Please be patient Cagalli… at least until Jean arrives." Lacus told her.

"All right… But I'm getting really bored." Cagalli said.

After a few minutes, Jean arrived. She bowed her head at the same time apologizing for being late. Lacus told Jean that it was all right. Lacus clasped her hands, feeling a bit shaky. She was afraid of what might Cagalli and Kira will think. Jean placed a hand on her shoulder. She faced Jean's kind face that told her that it will be alright. She turned to Cagalli and Kira who were waiting anxiously. She took a deep breathe and started talking.

"Kira, Cagalli, I'm engage to be married to Athrun." Lacus said.

"What!" Cagalli and Kira gasped.

"It's true. It was our father's idea. They forced us." Athrun added.

"Why didn't you tell us before?" Cagalli asked.

"We were afraid…" Lacus answered. "I hope you're not mad."

"No… But I'm a bit depressed." Cagalli said.

"Me too… Still I'm glad that you told us." Kira said.

Kira pulled Lacus towards him. His hands made its way around her chest, tightening his grip around her. Lacus felt like crying but tried hr best to hold it. Kira wasn't a bit angry at all this but somewhere in his heart felt pain. Who wouldn't be hurt if you knew your best friend was engage to the one you love? Kira kept that painful emotion inside and showed kindness towards Lacus.

"Kira… I'm really sorry about this." Lacus said.

"No need to apologize Lacus." Kira replied.

Athrun thought that it was best to leave the couple alone so he grabbed Cagalli and Jean and dragged them downstairs.

"What are you going to do?" Cagalli asked Athrun.

"I don't want to go through this either. Lacus is my friend and she loves Kira. If only our fathers could realize how wrong they are." Athrun explained.

"I bet talking with them won't solve things either." Jean said.

"Yes… There must be some way." Athrun replied.

Cagalli crossed her arms in front of her chest as she stared down at the floor. She sensed an unwanted feeling in her heart. The thought of Lacus being engage to Athrun troubled her. She couldn't explain if that feeling is depression or jealousy. Jealousy? She thought… She shook her head rapidly trying to rid the uneasiness in her mind. While Cagalli was deep in thought, Athrun's eyes were on her. He wondered that now she knew about it what she will think about him. The thing was that Athrun loves her but the fact that he was engaged frightened him.

"Cagalli…" Athrun spoke after minutes of silence.

"Huh? What!" Cagalli asked.

"Even though Lacus and I are betrothed, I only consider her a friend and nothing more." Athrun replied.

"Of course I know that… Why are you telling me this?" Cagalli said.

Jean noticed something strange about Athrun. It was like that Athrun was trying to assure Cagalli that he doesn't love Lacus. She figured that he may love Cagalli. A smile came to her face with an overwhelming excitement in her heart. She was sure of it that Athrun had deep feelings for Cagalli based on her observations. She could really tell just by looking at a person's eyes and actions just like she guessed about Kira and Lacus.

"Maybe there's a way after all…" Jean thought.

Kira and Cagalli walked home together. Cagalli noticed how quiet Kira was. Normally he would talk about so many interesting things but now his mouth was shut tight. She knew that Kira was thinking about Lacus. Feeling the urge to cheer him up, Cagalli decided to tell a joke.

"Here's a joke… Why shouldn't you tell a joke while ice skating?" Cagalli asked.

"Huh? Um… Why?" Kira replied.

"Because the ice might crack up get it?' Cagalli laughed.

Kira didn't laugh just yet but he smiled. Cagalli kept on telling jokes until Kira burst in laughter. She felt relief to see Kira in his happy self. Kira thanked Cagalli for cheering him up.

"No problem!" Cagalli told him.

A lady about in the mid-20 happened to pass by. She accidentally dropped her pocket book while reaching for her glasses in her bag. Cagalli quickly picked up it up and handed it back to the lady.

"Thank you very much." The lady said.

"No big." Cagalli replied.

The lady glanced at Kira and Cagalli for a while.

"Oh my you two must be twins since you look alike." The lady told them and walked away.

Cagalli raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. She faced Kira and stared at him carefully. She admitted that the lady was right which made her wonder. She pulled the picture of the mother and twins from her pocket. Her eyes viewed the little baby boy. The boy's hair color matched Kira's hair perfectly.

"It might be just a coincidence but my twin's hair is exactly like yours." Cagalli said.

"You're thinking that I may be your brother?" Kira asked.

"Heck no… What I know is that my real mother also gave him a pendant like this only his was blue." Cagalli showed Kira the pendant.

"Huh? That? Cagalli…" Kira said.

"Look at the time… Gotta run! See you tomorrow Kira!" Cagalli said.

Cagalli took off in a hurry leaving Kira in a state of shock. When Cagalli showed in that pink pendant something just came up in his mind. The picture was familiar to him but the pendant he has seen it before. Upon reaching his home, he scavenged around his mother's things. He found a small box and opened it.

"I don't believe it." Kira murmured.

**To be continued…**

* * *

JC: End of chapter 10… Please don't forget to review and no flames.

_Kai invites Cagalli to go out with him… What will Athrun do?_

_Jean will talk to Luna and Meyrin…._


	11. Wandering Minds

JC: Thanks so much for the reviews. I'm sorry if I update late because school started and I only have little time to write. Chapter 11 is here and I hope you guys enjoy reading this.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed.

_In the previous chapter Kira found something that will make him question himself…_

* * *

**High School Life**

Phase 11: Wandering Minds

_Kira's house_

He couldn't believe what he just discovered. In that box he found in his mother's room, contained a blue pendant and a picture similar to Cagalli's. He took the picture out of the box with hands that shivered in fear of knowing the truth. But the back of the picture proved to be the most shocking for him since it has his name and Cagalli's name printed on it. His purple eyes widened with a pale expression on his face. Not knowing what to do, not knowing what to even think, Kira dropped himself on the bed. He lifted the pendant before him as his eyes followed its every swing. Sadness, confusion, and puzzlement covered his mind and heart.

He now questions his identity… Who am I? Am I really Cagalli's brother? Who are my real parents? So many questions left unanswered. Feeling the need of comfort, he confronted his so-called-mother in the kitchen. He faced his mother as if she was a stranger. His eyes were dead fixed on her.

"Mother tell me… I want to know the truth. Am I really a Yamato?" Kira asked.

"Oooo…Of course Kira… Why?" Mrs. Yamato said.

"Then what's this all about?"

Kira placed the pendant and picture on the table.

"I thought I kept this in a safe place but you still managed to find it."

"Please tell me who am I?"

"I guess it's no use hiding it now."

_Ice Cream Shop_

After a long day in school, Lacus and Cagalli stopped by at their favorite ice cream shop. As usual they would sit in their usual place and order their usual flavor of ice cream. While they wait for their ice cream, Lacus pulled out a notebook from her bag and showed it to Cagalli. It was a nice pink notebook with floral designs on it and Lacus' name printed on the cover.

"That's cute." Cagalli said.

"You think so? Kira actually gave this to me. He even printed my name on it." Lacus gladly told her.

"About Kira by the way… Is he avoiding me because he was sure acting like that at school?" Cagalli asked Lacus.

Lacus glanced down at her notebook and sighed deeply. She turned to Cagalli with a calm expression on her face.

"It seems to be that way… I for one do not know the reason why. He didn't even want to talk to me about his problem." Lacus explained.

Cagalli placed her elbows on the table and leaned her head as she let out a big groan. Her thoughts were on her brown hair look alike. She wondered if she did something wrong to upset him but as she remembered correctly she didn't.

"Here are your ice creams!" Stellar spoke up when she approached the table.

Stellar placed their ice creams on the table. She bowed her head and excused herself. Lacus started eating her frozen delight while Cagalli played around with her spoon. Cagalli wasn't really in the mood knowing that she maybe the reason why Kira was acting strangely.

Suddenly a pair of hands covered Cagalli's golden orbs. She quickly grabbed the hands and removed them from her face. She turned her head around to see who the person was.

"Kai! Woah good to see you." Cagalli greeted her male friend from Dominion High.

"Wow Ice cream can I have some!" Kai urged.

Kai swiped Cagalli's spoon in an instant and gulp some of her ice cream. He smiled at the sweet taste of the ice cream. Cagalli got pissed with him since it was so rude of him to do that.

"Did I tell you to eat that!" Cagalli angrily asked Kai.

"Ooops sorry about that… Well I was planning to take you out." Kai said.

Cagalli stopped babbling and stared blankly at Kai for a while.

"What did you just say?" Cagalli demanded.

"Please say yes." Kai pleaded.

Cagalli blinked several times, not knowing what to answer. She was very sudden by all this. She just heard it right, Kai was asking her out and he even begged for her to agree. She turned to Lacus and gave a what-should-I-do look. Lacus just smiled in return and nodded her head. Cagalli faced Kai with a wide grin.

"Sure just make sure our day will be fun." Cagalli finally replied.

"Cagalli going out with Kai I wonder what he will say about this…" Lacus thought.

**Flashback**

Lacus was happily shopping for some new clothes at the mall. She tried on different outfits in the fitting room and she'd buy the clothes that suit her. Shopping wasn't her usual hobby but something wonderful just came up like Kira taking her on a date. So Lacus has just have to look good on the date so please Kira despite that she's already gorgeous enough to make any boy fall in love with her. When she finished shopping she stopped by at a Café and ordered a strawberry cake.

"This looks delicious." Lacus thought as she started tasting it.

The pink hair princess took notice of a familiar blue haired guy that just passed by. She quickly stood from her seat and called him. Athrun turned his head at Lacus and waved his hand. He approached and seated with her.

"I see you've done a little shopping." Athrun told her after looking at the bags beside her.

"Kind off. So what's up?" Lacus asked.

"Nothing much." Athrun answered.

By the tone of his voice Lacus noticed that he was feeling kind off down. She continued eating her cake in silence until she saw Athrun touching his lips. He smiled all of the sudden but then gave out a deep sigh. Lacus couldn't stay quiet anymore so she started asking him.

"I can see that something is bothering you. What is it?" Lacus questioned.

"Huh! No, it's just that." Athrun blushed.

"Why are you blushing? Is it about a girl?" Lacus asked.

"Actually it's Cagalli… I accidentally kissed her the other day at the gym." Athrun admitted.

Lacus gasped in surprise. Who would be if you just found out that your best friend kissed a handsome guy like Athrun. She giggled a bit which made Athrun felt tenser than he already is. Sure, he liked the kiss but it was a little awkward for him. Lacus patted Athrun's shoulder and smiled.

"Don't worry about it I'm sure Cagalli like it too…" Lacus told him.

Athrun cheeks just became redder. He bowed his head down so his hair would cover up the redness. His fists were clenched as he stared blankly at the wooden table with Cagalli in his mind.

"You really like Cagalli don't you Athrun?" Lacus asked.

His emerald eyes widened as he caught sight of Lacus' crystal blue eyes. He had a shocking expression in his face but his eyes had a soft and deep emotion flowing in them. With no words to comply with her question, he just made a simple nod.

"If you like Cagalli then why don't you tell her?" Lacus said.

"I want to but I'm afraid of being rejected." Athrun replied.

"Don't be… You won't know unless you try."

"Okay Lacus I'll give it a shot."

**End of Flashback**

_Park_

It was already night time. The skies were dark but full of bright stars. The trees swayed spookily as the cold wind blew pass them. Crickets could be heard making such wonderful sounds. The park was surrounded by silence but in the midst of the park a certain brown haired boy stood near the fountain, staring at the starry skies.

The pain in his heart, feelings that made so depressed upon knowing about his true self. In his right hand, held a blue pendant that proved his true identity for what he learned from his foster mom that he wasn't really a Yamato. He was someone else. Someone that he doesn't even know but he was only sure of one thing and that would be Cagalli. There was no doubt in his mind that the blonde girl was his sister. But one thing bothered him… how was he going to tell her? He couldn't just walk up to her and say hey Cagalli I'm your long lost twin brother… No way! Kira shook his head rapidly. His purple eyes turned to the pendant. As he thought more about it, it just made him more lost… A deep sigh he let out as he leaned against a tree.

"How can I tell her? What should I do?" Kira asked himself.

"Yamato?"

Someone suddenly called him. Kira got his back off the tree and turned to his right side. There he saw a red haired girl standing in front of him. He thought that it was Fllay but as he approached for a closer look he found out that he was mistaken. The girl was his friend, Jean Corda.

"What are you doing here in this time of night?" Jean asked.

"I could ask you the same thing." Kira replied.

"Me? Well I just like to walk around the park at night since I find it relaxing for the mind."

"I see. I wanted to freshen out a bit because it was getting boring at home."

"But I don't think that's the reason you're here."

"What do you mean?"

"Your eyes tell me everything. You have a problem…"

Unbelievable, Jean Corda saw through him again. He wondered how she's able to distinguish a person's feelings just by looking at them. But he didn't want her to know about the whole sibling thing so he kept his mouth shut.

"If you don't want to talk about it then it's fine with me… Whatever your problem is Yamato, you have to face it because nothing will happen if you don't act." Jean advised.

Kira faced Jean and blinked several times. He had to admit that what Jean said was true.

"You're right… Thanks Jean…" Kira said.

"It's no big, Yamato. I'm glad that I was able to help." Jean replied.

_Alster Mansion (Next Day)_

Jean visited the Alster Mansion to see Lunamaria and Meyrin. She wanted to talk to them about Fllay since she's causing so much trouble for Lacus and her friends. Even though Jean was a very shy person she still had the guts to try talking to Fllay's sisters. As she heard from Fllay, the sisters had a stubborn and girly attitude which may be a problem for Jean.

But when she entered the mansion, she was happily greeted by Luna and Meyrin. They even invited Jean to the living room and offered snacks. Jean was very grateful but she didn't come to eat snacks. Being seated across her, Jean stared at the sisters for a while. Surprisingly they really looked alike…

"Lunamaria, Meyrin, and Fllay looked like twins but as I recall Meyrin is Fllay's twin." Jean silently thought.

"So you wanted to talk to us?" Luna started.

"As a matter of fact yes… It's about your sister Fllay she's kinda giving my friend Lacus a hard time in school." Jean told them.

"Fllay is always like. She can be selfish most of the time." Meyrin said.

"Anyway… I'm sorry to say this but she has done terrible things to Lacus Clyne like…"

Jean told them about how abusive Fllay can be at Lacus. It angered her to even talk about it but she continued talking with a slight hesitation. At the same time she feared that Luna and Meyrin would despise her since Jean was negatively speaking about Fllay.

Luna and Meyrin listened to every word. They knew that Fllay was self-centered spoiled brat but they would never know that she could be so dangerous.

"I can't believe Fllay could actually do those things. Is your friend Clyne okay?" Luna asked.

"Yes, she is…" Jean replied.

"I bet she's really mad at Fllay huh?" Meyrin asked.

"Actually she isn't… Clyne is a very kind person and very forgiving. She doesn't hold grudges against Fllay." Jean explained.

"I'm going to talk to Fllay. She would actually hurt another girl just to get a boy how cruel…" Luna remarked.

The sisters looked at each other. Lunamaria had an angry look on her face. Her fists were clenched as she felt rage coming into her head. Meyrin tried to soften her up since she knew that Luna could get so out of hand when she's mad. Meyrin gently patted her back and then she placed her head on Luna's shoulder.

"Try to talk to her as calmly as you can sis." Meyrin told Luna.

"All right I will… Just stop me if I get impatient." Luna said.

Luna turned to Jean who was quietly watching them.

"By the way, what's your name?" Luna asked.

"I'm Jean Corda and I'm one of Fllay's classmates." Jean answered.

"We won't tell Fllay about this conversation we had." Meyrin assured her.

Jean thanked the sisters. She felt kind of uneasy thinking that the sisters would tell Fllay. She was a little afraid of the consequences. Fllay would surely ruin her entire high school life so that's why she's grateful to Luna and Meyrin. Feeling contented and sure, she left the Alster mansion with a calm expression on her face.

"I hope Luna could knock some sense into that Fllay." Jean thought.

_Minerva High (After Class)_

Cagalli hurriedly packed her things into her bag because she had to go meet Kai. She informed him to meet her at the park at 4 PM but it was already 4:30.

"Damn, I bet Kai is already there… Need to hurry!" Cagalli murmured.

"What's the rush Cagalli? You look like a nervous wreck." Athrun told her.

She stood from her seat and faced the blue haired boy with stern eyes.

"For your information Athrun I'm going out with Kai and I'm running late."

She was a bit harsh with those words. It's like she's mad at Athrun. He didn't care about that but the part of "going out with Kai" caught his attention. Cagalli? Going out with Kai? Those phrases kept repeating in his head. He suddenly grabbed Cagalli's shoulder and made her faced him. Her golden brown eyes met his emerald ones.

"What do mean you're going out with him?" Athrun asked.

"Why? Kai's my friend and he asked me so I can't…" Cagalli tried to explain until she was cut off.

"Wait you can't go out with him." Athrun told her.

Cagalli raised an eyebrow. Athrun just told her that she's not allowed to go out with Kai which she wondered why. Kai was her friend so why not? Her eyes narrowed at him. She brushed off his hands from her shoulder and turned away. She grabbed her bag but before leaving she faced Athrun again.

"Athrun, why are you saying that to me?" Cagalli asked. "I can go with whoever I like, whenever I like so there."

"But Cagalli… It's just that… I…" Athrun muttered.

"You're acting strangely Athrun… Are you okay?"

"I'm fine but I just don't…"

"What is it? Tell me is something bothering you? I get it you want me to walk home with you right? I'm sorry Athrun but I have to go. Kai is waiting for me."

"Cagalli!"

But she didn't stop even though she heard his voice. She just exited the room while running. Athrun let out a deep sigh and sat down. He leaned his head on his hand. He just felt like a total idiot trying to stop Cagalli from seeing Kai. Part of him was saying that it's okay but the other part of him, mainly his heart was telling him to just grab Cagalli and pull her into a warm embrace so she could forget about Kai. He loves Cagalli but he's just too shy with his feelings. He wanted to tell Cagalli how much she means to him but he lets his shyness gets the best of him.

"What should I do? Will she be all right with Kai? I'm worried." Athrun thought.

Jean happened to pass by the room and saw Athrun in his moping state. She entered the room and approached Athrun.

"Hi Zala! What are you doing here all alone? Where are Lacus and Kira? Where's Cagalli?" Jean asked.

"Slow down… One question at a time." Athrun said.

"Ooops sorry about that… So what's the problem?"

"It's Cagalli… She's off to see Kai."

His tone of voice changed when he uttered the name Kai. Why? Because he was jealous of him… He banged his fist on the desk and stood. He faced Jean with seriousness. Okay now he was scaring Jean… She slowly backed away because she felt that something was going to happen. But before she could reach the door, she was grabbed by Athrun.

"Zala, hey where are you taking me?" Jean asked.

"We're going to follow Cagalli." Athrun replied.

"What!"

With Athrun dragging her by force Jean had no choice but to go with Athrun to spy on Cagalli and Kai.

_Park_

Kai positioned himself on a tree branch while humming a tune. He got tired of waiting for Cagalli standing up so there he was lying still on the branch. It was actually quite relaxing for him.

Cagalli entered the park and tried to find Kai but he was nowhere to be seen. She sighed thinking that Kai already left because she was late. But to her surprise she found Kai up on a tree, sleeping.

"Hey Kai! Wake up! I'm here!" Cagalli shouted.

Her loud voice startled Kai which almost made him fell.

"You almost gave me a heart attack!" Kai yelled.

"Sorry about that… So are you ready to go?" Cagalli asked.

"Sure!" Kai replied.

Kai jumped off and landed safely on the ground. He turned at Cagalli and smiled.

"Where do you want to go first?" Kai asked.

Cagalli crossed her arms and thought for a while.

"Hmmm… I know! Let's go eat first. I know a good restaurant near here." Cagalli told him.

"Okay just lead the way Cagalli." Kai said.

Cagalli grabbed his hand and dragged him all the way to a Burger World, a fast food restaurant. But they didn't know that Athrun and Jean were following them. The two spies saw Cagalli and Kai entered the restaurant.

"What should we do now?" Jean questioned Athrun.

"We're going in too." Athrun said.

"They are going to recognize us if we just casually walk in there." Jean sarcastically said.

Unexpectedly, Athrun slapped a newspaper on her face. Of course Jean got pissed by this but she tried to hold off her anger. She glanced at the newspaper then looked back at Athrun.

"If you must know we're going to use that to cover our faces." Athrun said.

"I knew that… You know you're acting very differently. Is this really the effect of jealousy?"

"Me jealous of that Kai… No way."

"Okay I won't say anything anymore."

Jean felt bad for spying on Cagalli and Kai but it was out of her will. For some reason, she was kinda curious about Kai. She wanted to know more about him. In the middle of her thinking she felt being pulled. She realized that Athrun was pulling her again towards the restaurant.

"Curious or not, How in the world did I get myself into this?" Jean murmured.

When they entered, Athrun quickly puts on his sunglasses while he rudely covered Jean's face. Jean was reaching her boiling point but she reminded herself to stay calm. Athrun spotted Cagalli and Kai seated at a table near a glass window.

"There they are Jean."

"I can see them."

Athrun picked a table not so far from them so he could observe. So far so good, they were just eating there burgers.

"Kai is cute…" Jean suddenly spoke.

"What's so cute about him?" Athrun sounded pissed.

"From a girl's point of view, a guy like Kai is definitely cute to the max." Jean said. "Don't worry Zala I think you're dead gorgeous and besides your one of the popular guys in school aside from Yamato." Jean told him.

Athrun paused in silence when he saw Kai holding Cagalli's hand but the blonde quickly brushed off her hand. Her cheeks turned red which made Athrun more envious. He wanted to walked up to them and take Cagalli away but Jean stopped him.

"Now Zala… We're just here to spy on them not to ruin their day." Jean told him.

Cagalli and Kai finished their burgers and left while Athrun and Jean secretly followed them from behind. They were heading towards the arcade. Cagalli rushed into the place. She was excited to play. She turned to Kai and asked him to play with her like a little 12-year old girl.

"Cool I just love games… What do you want to play first Kai?" Cagalli asked.

"Let's see how about Gundam Seed Battle Assault…" Kai suggested.

"That's a great game so let's." Cagalli replied.

Suddenly someone bumped into Cagalli which caused her to fell into Kai's arms. For Kai he was overjoyed but for her she felt kind of embarrassed. She quickly backed away from Kai with cheeks burning as ever.

"Sorry about that." Cagalli said nervously.

"It's not your fault. Come on let's play." Kai said.

Athrun managed to see the whole incident. He was about to charge at them until Jean stepped on his foot really hard.

"Don't let me repeat myself… We're here to spy get it?" Jean said.

"But Cagalli was…"

"Zala I know but just let them be."

Towards the end of the day, Cagalli had a wonderful time with Kai. When she reached home, she jumped into bed and hugged her pillow so tightly. She couldn't help to giggle while she thought about Kai. But her thoughts quickly shifted to Athrun… Even though she had fun with her brown haired friend, Athrun still ruled her. Yes, she realized that she loves him but although she does consider though she's still a shy girl who's afraid to admit her feelings.

A knock came to her door. She got out of bed and opened it. Surprisingly it was Athrun together with an exhausted Jean. Her golden brown orbs widened but at the same time her heart felt pleased seeing Athrun.

"Athrun, Jean what are you two doing here?" Cagalli asked.

"Well I tried to stop…"

Jean tried to explain to Cagalli but Athrun immediately coved her mouth.

"The thing is um… I just wanted to see you and I managed to bump into Jean along the way." Athrun answered.

"Okay I see but hey can you remove your hand from Jean. She seems to be suffocating." Cagalli pointed.

"Huh?" Athrun glanced at Jean. "Sorry about that…" He removed his hand.

Jean took a deep breathe. She never felt so exhausted in her entire life. Being with Athrun was a nightmare for her since she dragged her almost everywhere just to follow Cagalli and Kai. She glared at Athrun with those furious eyes.

"I'll going to murder this guy." Jean thought.

Athrun smiled at Jean and whispered a short apology into her ear. Knowing that being angry with him will lead to nowhere, Jean instantly forgave him.

Cagalli invited Athrun and Jean into her room. She started telling them about her day with Kai which made Athrun uneasy. Jean decided to change the subject since she didn't want to hear it because she was also there. Cagalli didn't mind at all so throughout the night, they chatted like for hours.

When it was already 10 PM, Athrun and Jean decided to go home. Cagalli was glad that they visited her. She stood there by the door as she waved at her friends. Jean started walking away while Athrun stood by for a moment. He turned to Cagalli and slowly approached her.

"Aren't you going home yet?" Cagalli asked him.

"I am but I have to do this first." Athrun said.

"Whaaat?"

Cagalli was pulled into a warm embrace by Athrun. Her cheeks burned in fiery red and her heart pumped so rapidly.

"Athrun… um… erm." Cagalli was lost in words.

Athrun gently released her and stared deeply into her eyes. He leaned forward and placed a light kiss on her forehead.

"Bye…" Athrun said.

He quickly took off leaving Cagalli in a state of shock.

"Athrun…" Cagalli smiled as she leaned against the wall.

**To be continued…**

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JC: end of chapter 11… Chapter 12 will be updated next week so watch out for it. Don't forget to review and no flaming.

_Cagalli and Kira will meet as siblings in the next chapter_

_Fllay found out about the sibling thing, what is she going to do with Cagalli?_


	12. Crossroads

JC: Hello! I'm very sorry for the late update and thanks for the reviews. Chapter 12 is here so I please read.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed.

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**High School Life**

Phase 12: Crossroads

_Minerva High_

Athrun visited his locker to get some his things for the next class. He spotted Cagalli leaning against a wall with a sad look on her face. Curious at the same time concern, Athrun approached her.

"Good morning Cagalli." Athrun greeted.

Cagalli turned to him and suddenly blushed. She remembered the hug and kiss that Athrun gave before he went home. That sweet moment was so good to be true but she felt so embarrassed by it that she couldn't even face the blue-haired guy straightly. Her cheeks were burning red. She fiddled with her fingers while feelings so uneasy at the moment.

"Cagalli are you okay? You look tense." Athrun said.

Tense, well yeah of course she was tense. He just did something to make her heart jump for joy, to make her scream in happiness. She slowly lifted her head until her eyes met his emerald orbs. Gosh it just made her want to melt just by looking at those luscious eyes. She opened her mouth by no words came out. She tried to speak but because of her nervousness she couldn't.

Athrun just smiled as he noticed her red cheeks. He thought it to be cute when Cagalli blushes. Her cuteness was one of the qualities he liked best. He giggled.

"You look so cute… In fact you're the cutest girl I've ever seen." Athrun told her.

This just made Cagalli's face turned like a tomato.

"What are you saying? I'm not cute…" Cagalli said. "Stop teasing me!"

"I'm not teasing. You're so cute and that's the truth."

She smiled as she felt good about herself. She was called cute which she rarely hears. Her mind was taken back to scene of Athrun hugging her and kissing her on the forehead. Her eyes narrowed as she looked back at him.

"What was the hug and kiss about?" Cagalli asked.

"Oh you mean last night… Well I just wanted to do that." Athrun replied.

"Well it really made me feel funny."

"I'm sorry I just couldn't help myself."

"It's okay."

Fllay passed by them looking rather pissed. Cagalli decided to tease her while in her current mood. So she confronted Fllay by blocking her way.

"What's the hurry?" Cagalli asked.

"I'm not in the mood for you antics, Athha!" Fllay said.

"I just wanted to remind you to stay away from Lacus." Cagalli told her.

"I haven't forgotten that! Step away." Fllay replied.

Fllay pushed Cagalli aside and took off. Surprisingly she didn't fight back since she would usually argue a lot. Alster wasn't the kind of girl to let down a fight or challenge so Cagalli realized that something was up.

She faced Athrun again, asking him about Kira. She hasn't forgotten how evadingly Kira was with her. she wanted to talk to him to straight things up.

"Have you seen Kira?" Cagalli asked.

"I think he's in the classroom. Why?" Athrun replied.

"It's just that he's been kinda avoiding me for some reason." Cagalli told him.

"What! Kira would never do that. Maybe you did something to upset him." Athrun said.

"No! I didn't do anything to him." Cagalli defended.

Cagalli was pretty upset about Kira avoiding her but the question is why. She wanted to know the reason but she's a little afraid approaching Kira which she find highly unusual. Cagalli would never get afraid to talk to a person but Kira was different. She felt something special in him that makes her tight. In the midst of her thinking, Athrun suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards the classroom despite the loud screams. When they reached the room, Cagalli shut her mouth at the sight of Kira. Athrun casually approached his childhood friend and greeted him. Cagalli didn't follow him but watched them from behind the door.

Kira caught a glimpse on Cagalli and quickly turned away. His eyed narrowed in depression as his thought shifted to the picture and the pendant. Nevertheless he knew that avoiding Cagalli would just make things worse so he marched towards her.

"Cagalli… Hey…" Kira said.

"Hey Kira… Um are you mad at me? If you are then I'm sorry." Cagalli told him.

"No I'm not mad at you. It's just that… well it's about this." Kira said as he pulled out a blue pendant from his pocket.

The pendant looked awfully similar to the pink pendant that Cagalli has. She examined it carefully and she wasn't mistaken. Confused and disturbed, Cagalli didn't know how to react but after a while she convinced herself that maybe it was just a coincidence. But Kira showed him another thing from his pocket which shocked her the most.

"No way… Where did you get that picture?" Cagalli asked with a slight shiver in her voice.

Kira hesitated to talk since he didn't know how to tell Cagalli. He let a deep sigh feeling so nervous at the moment... He had so many questions in his mind right now but no answers. Kira badly wanted to ask his parents but he was He was afraid to found out about himself, about his true self. He hoped that this would all be a dream but it was dead real. Now he stood there in front of Cagalli, his look alike and maybe his twin sister… The picture he held in his hand was the same picture that Cagalli has. A picture of a mother and two babies… He took a short glance at the picture then back at Cagalli.

"I found this picture and pendant in my house." Kira finally replied to her question.

Her golden orbs caught his purple ones. She slowly took the picture from his hand and took a good look at it. Her right hand made its way to her pocket and pulled out the picture. Her hands trembled as she kept staring at the two images in her hands. It was exactly alike. She couldn't say a word not a bit because her thoughts were filled with puzzlement. At that moment she wanted to cry.

Kira's hand reached for her shoulder reminding her to be strong. Although he felt depressed himself he tried his best to hold his tears. Suddenly he grabbed Cagalli and brought her to the back of the school where no students were around. When they got there, Cagalli fell to her knees as she leaned her head against the wall. Her hands slowly moved to her chest. She reached for her pink pendant and held it tightly in her hand. Her heart pounded as hard as a drum with the feelings of pain and suffering inside. Her emotions were on a rampage but the calmness inside still managed to suppress her. Kira knelt down to her level and with the use of his finger he tilted Cagalli's head until her face met his. He gave out a warm smile which could melt any girl's heart but in Cagalli's case it just made her heart more vigilant. Kira couldn't stand seeing his blonde friend/sister like this so he pulled her towards into a sweet hug.

"Kira, what do you think you're doing?"

"I'm trying to cheer you up. I know that it's my fault to cause your sadness. I'm sorry for even showing the pendant and the picture to you."

"Huh!"

They broke and faced each other. Cagalli placed her head in his chest as her eyes were fixed at the pendant in his hand. She took the pendant. She clasped it in her hand and brought it closer to her chest.

"This pendant and that picture prove it… You're my brother Kira."

"I believe that too but I wonder why my parents didn't tell me about this… When I found these things I got so upset."

"Kira… I know how you feel."

"Your situation is different. You're parents told you that were an adopted child from the beginning while I… I had to find it myself."

"Kira… I'm sorry to hear that."

Cagalli faintly smiled as she glanced at the picture that Kira brought. She turned the picture around and saw two names scribbled on it. The names Kira and Cagalli were written there, another proof that they were siblings. Cagalli giggled as lively as tears started flowing from her golden eyes. In the midst of her happiness she suddenly jumped on Kira giving him a sisterly hug which almost choked his to death.

"I finally found you brother." Cagalli shouted.

Fllay gasped in surprise as she saw the siblings hug each other. She couldn't believe that her beloved Kira was actually Cagalli's twin brother… She dropped her knees to the ground. An evil smile came to her face, a sly but ghastly smile. She discovered another secret which may be the root for her plans.

_Dominion High_

"Okay class please don't forget your book report is due next week." Ms. Natarle reminded.

Stellar thought about going to the library to find a book. She dragged Shinn along with her against his own will. He can't say no to a girl. Even though how he hated Libraries, he's going to grow and love it.

When they reached the library, Shinn found a place to lounge around while he waited for Stellar. The blonde found the book that she was looking for only problem is that it was too high to reach. She saw a stool and pulled it to the desired spot. It was kind of wobbly so she called Shinn to hold the stool. Shinn held on to it as Stellar stepped on it. She stretched out her arms towards the book. She managed to grab but in the process she went out of balance.

"Oh no! Ah!"

"Stellar!"

Stellar fell but she landed safely in Shinn's arms. She sighed in relief and turned to Shinn. She smiled as she thanked him for his help.

Shinn was blushing madly because at that moment he was feeling Stellar's… cough…breast.

"Shinn, what's the matter?"

Stellar noticed him sweating like a nervous wreck.

Shinn laughed lightly as he released Stellar. He quickly turned around because his face was getting redder by the minute.

"Sometimes I wonder why you always act so tense around me." Stellar said.

"Huh?"

Shinn turned to Stellar. He noticed that Stellar's face expression changed into an upset one.

"Is it because you don't feel comfortable being with me?" Stellar asked.

"No, that's not it. Well erm… you see Stellar… um…" Shinn said.

"See you can't even talk properly in front of me. Don't you like me?" Stellar told him.

He deeply sighed. His eyes suddenly soften as he glanced back at her magenta eyes. With a wide grin on his head he bowed his head and apologized sincerely to her.

"I'm sorry… I'm acting this way well it's because I've never had a friend like you before. I have to admit that I'm always tense around… well it's just because I… really… like you."

Stellar smiled and immediately hugged Shinn. His whole body suddenly turned cold but his face was bright as a red tomato. Yet, he felt really happy. His heart was jumping for joy. If he could he wanted to pull Stellar into a warm embrace but he hesitated. Somehow his shyness for girls has taken over him.

Stellar released Shinn and stared deeply into his red eyes. She felt her cheeks burning up with redness which actually surprised Shinn.

"Wait a sec… Stellar blushing… So that means she actually likes me…" Shinn thought.

"Well I have to check out this book." Stellar said.

She grabbed Shinn again and dragged him all over the place.

Minerva High (Gym)

Jean Corda was loafing around the gym until a red head girl with pig tails entered. She almost thought it to be Fllay but it turned out to be Fllay's adorable twin sister, Meyrin.

"Hi there Jean Corda!" Meyrin greeted.

"Hi..." Jean replied shyly.

"So do you always come here?" Meyrin asked.

"Ah… sometimes… Anyway Miss Meyrin have you talk to Alster I mean to your sister." Jean said nervously.

Meyrin leaned against the wall and nodded her head. She glanced at Jean with a calm expression on her face. She smiled so friendly and kindly which rather astonished Jean a bit. Meyrin really looked like Fllay but it seemed like she's the nicer version. The pig tailed red head girl was the complete opposite of the red head girl with a big mouth and bossy attitude.

Jean suddenly giggled at the thought of comparing the Alster twins.

"Why are you laughing?" Meyrin asked.

"Well you really look like Alster… of course since you're her twin but you seemed to have a much better personality than her." Jean said.

"Thank you… My big sister Lunamaria thinks so too… But Fllay is Fllay and I'm me." Meyrin said.

_After class, (Room 1-D)_

At last class was dismissed. Cagalli stretched her arms feeling relief since she was dying of boredom from listening to the teacher. But she sighed as she looked at the notebook piled on her desk. The teacher gave them loads of homework to do and Cagalli hated homework especially Math homework.

"I can't stand math!" Cagalli complained.

"You know Cagalli I don't really know why but even though you hate Math you always managed to get good grades on the subject. Why is it?" Lacus said.

"I don't know… It just happens." Cagalli replied.

She packed up her notebooks. She looked into her bag and pulled out the picture. Her eyes turned at Kira who was currently talking to Athrun.

"Kira is really my brother…" Cagalli thought. "Then I better tell Lacus and Athrun!"

She stood and suddenly slammed her hands on her desk. This caught her friends' attention. She faced them with a concern look. Her hands trembled as she held the picture. She took one deep breathe. Now she was ready to tell them…

"Lacus, Athrun… Kira here is… my… twin brother." Cagalli finally said it.

It felt really good to let it out. She glanced at Athrun and Lacus who were rather very surprised.

"Is that true?" Lacus asked Kira.

Kira nodded his head at her girl friend. He went over to Cagalli's side and pulled out the same picture. Not only had that he also showed the blue pendant identical to Cagalli's pendant.

"She's my twin sister…" Kira said.

"Wow… So that's why you two looked exactly alike." Athrun said.

Lacus approached Cagalli and pulled her into a hug. She was so happy for her best friend. Cagalli would always tell Lacus that she will find her brother one day but she had never guessed that it would really happen. The best part of all was that Cagalli's twin was none other than her boyfriend.

Athrun placed his arm around Kira's neck and pulled him into a neck grip. Athrun started rubbing his head rapidly while smiling so widely. He was also happy for his childhood friend.

"Stop it you're messing up my hair." Kira said.

"I don't care… I'm just glad right now." Athrun told him.

Kira and Cagalli glanced at each other. For them it was one of the best things that ever happened to them. To able to find each other as siblings is really unbelievable. Cagalli who dreamed to see her brother has finally come true and the good part was that it was Kira, the nicest guy you could ever find. Kira also felt the same way about Cagalli, well lucky too since she's cute but very honest.

_Kira's house_

The twins were standing in front of the Yamato's house. Cagalli was feeling a bit nervous meeting Kira's parents but she has too. Kira opened the door and they both entered.

"Cagalli you wait in the living room while I'll call mom." Kira said.

Kira rushed upstairs to fetch his mom while Cagalli looked around the living room, glancing at some pictures of Kira and the Yamatos.

"Kira looks so cute." Cagalli thought.

Not a minute too soon Kira arrived with his mother. Cagalli gazed at Mrs. Yamato for a while. She noticed that she was very beautiful and seemed to be a very kind person.

"Hello Mrs. Yamato I'm Cagalli Yula Athha, one of Kira's classmates." Cagalli introduced herself politely.

"I know but I like to prefer you as Kira's twin sister." Mrs. Yamato said.

From the looks of it, Kira has already told his mom all about Cagalli. Mrs. Yamato sat across Cagalli as Kira went to seat beside his twin. Kira's mom examined Cagalli for a while.

"Oh my gosh! Kira wasn't kidding when he said that you really look like him." Mrs. Yamato remarked.

Kira's mom started explaining to Cagalli how Kira end up with the Yamatos. Cagalli and Kira listened to every word she was saying like a couple of kids interested in a story.

"You real parents were the Hibikis. They were both scientist working at a military facility. After giving birth to the two of you, your mother went back to work since she was really needed in the lab. As a good friend of hers I volunteered to take care of you two. But she never came back for you since an accident occurred in the lab. Your parents died and I wept. I promised in front of your parents' grave that I would take care of you but my husband said that to give one of you away which I highly disagreed. He kept on insisting until I gave up. My husband planned to keep Kira so he gave Cagalli to his friend Athha."

After telling the whole story to the twins about their parents, Mrs. Yamato started explaining about the pendants.

"The pendants you have are a symbol of luck. You had worn that ever since you were babies. Those were the only gifts that your parents ever given to you. Maybe because of the pendants you're still alive up until now." Mrs. Yamato said.

Cagalli removed the pendant from her neck. She placed it beside Kira's blue pendant along with the picture of them and their mother. Cagalli smiled just by looking at them.

Kira narrowed his eyes. He stood and turned away from his mother. He felt a bit angry since his parents kept it a secret for so long. Of course he had the right to know.

"Why didn't you tell me all of this before? Why did you hide that picture and pendant?"

"I was afraid that to lose you Kira. I was afraid that you would leave me to look for your sister."

"Mom… I won't leave you no matter what happens. I love you and dad."

"Kira…"

His mother burst into tears. She immediately hugged Kira as she cried some more. Kira patted his mother's back as she tried to comfort her.

Cagalli began to cry. She could feel the pain and sorrow for her parents. Her heart wanted to break. She clasped her hands close to her heart as she sobbed.

Kira on the other hand felt no different but a feeling of disappointment was in his heart.

"So they're gone and here I am hoping that I could meet them one day." Cagalli said.

"The only memory we have of our mother is the picture." Kira told her.

"I know but still it's depressing since we don't even know what kind of people our parents are." Cagalli said.

Mrs. Yamato stood and approached the twins. She held their hands and stared deeply into their eyes. With a loving and warm smile, she managed to calm their aching hearts.

"You may have lost your parents but you will always have each other from now on."

Their eyes widened as they face each other with confuse looks. Their frown soon turned into a grin.

"Your mom's right Kira…"

"Yeah we'll be together from now on, Cagalli."

_Alster Mansion_

Meyrin was busy typing her homework on her laptop until her stubborn twin sister barged into her room.

"Admit it, who told you about my dirty tricks to Lacus Clyne!" Fllay asked angrily.

"What will you do if I don't tell you?" Meyrin said.

"Tell me right now… It's Athha or that Corda girl right?"

Meyrin paused at the mere mention of Jean's surname. It was true that Jean was the one who told her and Luna but Jean was her friend now. Knowing Fllay she might do something terrible to Jean.

"I don't know Fllay! Why don't you ask Sister Luna?" Meyrin said.

Fllay couldn't ask Lunamaria because she hated hearing her sermons. Well Luna is the big sister after all so Fllay kinda the rebel of the siblings. She had no choice but to forget about it. She walked out of Meyrin's room quietly but still looking pissed as ever.

Meyrin just laughed at Fllay's reaction. She went back to her work but after a while she thought about Jean.

"Jean Corda… hmmm…" Meyrin murmured.

**To be continued**

Jc: End of chapter 12. Please don't forget to review and no flaming. Again I apologize if I'm updating late… I only have little time to write since school is killing me. But please watch out for the next chapter!

_Lacus announces her relationship with Kira to her father_


	13. Decision

JC: Chapter 13 is here. Thanks for the reviews by the way. Okay in the previous chapter Kira and Cagalli finally know that they're twins. The picture and pendant gave it away so easily. Shinn and Stellar relationship is blooming… Meyrin seemed to be attracted to Jean.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed. I only own Kai and Jean and that's all.

_Athrun and Lacus' engagement problems_

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**High School Life**

Phase 13: Decision

Cagalli was sitting quietly at a bench in park, all by herself. It was a bright Saturday morning but there she was, looking very depressed. She kept thinking about her parents who left her. She clenched her fists as she remembered every single word her brother's foster mom told her. "Your parents have already died" it gave her the shivers at the same time pain in her fragile heart.

The wind blew pass her carrying the scent of the fresh green grass. It somehow refreshed her. She glanced at the children playing at the swings. A smile came to her face. The children reminded her of herself and Lacus when they were still in elementary. Memories came flowing into her head, the precious memories of her meeting with the pink princess.

**Flashback**

A little blonde girl was playing in the swings, swinging higher and higher. Her golden brown eyes were set on the blue skies, admiring every bit of it. She just loves staring at the sky it makes free. She stopped as she saw a pink-haired girl pass by.

The pink girl had a little stuff teddy bear in her arms which was rather cute. The girl went straight to the bench and sat down. She placed her bear at her side. She faced the sky and gave a deep sigh.

Cagalli-Chan noticed the sad look on her face. She felt really concern all of the sudden that she actually wanted to walk up to the pink girl and talk to her. But she hesitated when she saw two girls about the same age approached her.

"Must be her friends…" Cagalli-Chan thought.

However, Cagalli-Chan was dead wrong for those 2 girls weren't friends but trouble-makers. One of them grabbed the pink girl's teddy bear while the other one picked on her. The pink girl pleaded to give her toy back but since they were mean… well you get the point.

Cagalli-Chan couldn't stand it anymore. She immediately marched towards them. She grabbed the bear from one girl.

"This isn't yours so you have no right to take it!" Cagalli-Chan said.

The two bullies glared at Cagalli-Chan but she wasn't even intimidated about this. Cagalli-Chan even gave them a dead stare. One of the girls tried to snatch the bear back but she backed away at once while hiding the bear behind her back.

"Why you little! Give that back." The other girl demanded.

"I won't so there. This bear belongs to that cute girl over there and not to you losers!" Cagalli-Chan said.

This only angered them more. One girl tried to punch her but Cagalli-Chan immediately ran away while insulting them.

"You losers can't catch me!"

Okay now they were freakin' mad so they ran after Cagalli-Chan trying to capture her but the blondie was too fast for them. Soon they got tired and decided to leave. Cagalli-Chan threw the bear as high as she jumped up for joy. She managed to catch the bear and quickly turned to the pink-haired girl. She smiled.

"Here ya go…" Cagalli spoke.

"Thank you very much not only for ridding those bullies but for returning my bear too." The pink girl said.

"You know you should really learn how to defend yourself. You can't be girly and kind when you're alone in the playground."

"I'll keep that in my mind. By the way my name is Lacus… what is yours?"

"Cagalli! Nice to meet you Lacus."

Cagalli-Chan held out her hand to Lacus-Chan. The pink girl glanced at her hand for a while and blinked several times. She turned back at Cagalli and smiled.

"Nice to meet you too Cagalli. If it's okay with you can you be my friend?"

"Sure… I'd love to."

Lacus-Chan shook hands with her new blonde friend.

**END of Flashback**

Cagalli let out a deep sigh. She took out a picture of her best friend dressed in a blue-performance dress. Cagalli would always be amazed on how pretty her friend can be in any kind of dress. She remembered the time she used that blue dress when Lacus sung Mizu no and won 1st place. Of course Cagalli would always give her fullest support to the pink princess.

Suddenly a large amount of green leaves fell on her, enough to cover her whole upper body. She immediately stood and shook the leaves from her.

"Ack! What just happen?" Cagalli asked.

As she got the last leaf off her she glanced around the area and noticed someone up a tree. She approached the tree and looked up. There she saw a familiar red eyed guy laughing his heart out. With a full force she kicked the tree which caused it to shake so much that Shinn actually fell flat on the soft grass. Still it was rather painful for Shinn's part but Cagalli doesn't care a damn thing for him.

While Shinn was still lying on the grass, Cagalli stepped on his chest and pressed hard so he couldn't stand up or even move. He struggled.

"B get your shoe off of me this instant!" Shinn demanded.

"Calling me names will just make matters worse Asuka!" Cagalli told him.

"You're hurting me Athha! Get off!"

"Say pretty please with sugar and cherry on top!"

"No I won't!"

"Quit whining and just do what I say!"

Okay! Pretty please with sugar and cherry on top! There I said it now get off!"

"Good!"

Cagalli removed her foot off of Shinn. He stood while rubbing his chest. He turned his furious red eyes at the blonde.

"You're going to get it this time, Athha!"

She made a sly grin on her face while staring so intensely at him. It made Shinn nervous for some reason.

"Do whatever you want me with… Don't let me stop you. If Stellar asks what happened to me then I going to blame you."

"What! Hey not Stellar… Okay I'll let you off."

"I knew it… You love Stellar don't you? I just knew it. Asuka's in love! Wait till everybody in school hears about this."

"Oh no… Athha please don't tell. I'm… erm… begging you."

"Now you're being polite. Wow…"

Cagalli knew that Shinn was famous for his mischief and fights. She has seen him a couple of times fighting some of students from her school. She glanced back at Shinn who was unusually quiet.

"What's with silence?"

"It's none of business Athha. I'm going now."

Shinn turned and walked away. Cagalli immediately ran in front of him. He gave her a fierce glare and demanded to let him through but Cagalli didn't budge. She quickly held his shoulders and looked straightly into his red orbs.

"If you want I can help you with your love life."

"What are you saying Athha? I don't need help from you!"

"Stellar's my friend and I know her very much."

"All right… Wait a sec… I'm sure there's a catch."

"No! Hey I'm being nice to you at least you could trust me."

Shinn crossed his arms and thought about it. After a while he turned to her and nodded his head. Cagalli smiled and gave a hard pat on his back.

"Good… Then here's what you should do…"

"First could you please stop hitting me… It hurts."

"Oops sorry about that Asuka."

"Um… Just call me Shinn…"

"Shinn… okay then just call me Cagalli."

Cagalli started whispering her plans to Shinn. From the point on they become sort of friends at least that what Cagalli believes but for Shinn, he still plans of pulling a fast on her.

_Clyne Mansion_

Lacus was in her garden watering her precious white roses. She just adored those roses and it reminded a lot of her dear mother. Unexpectedly, a mechanical bird perched on her shoulder. She smiled and greeted the little bird.

"Hello there Birdy… If you're here then Kira must be…"

"Right here Lacus." Kira spoke.

The brown haired guy entered and approached his girlfriend. Lacus immediately hugged him and lightly kissed him on the cheek. Kira blushed slightly.

"What brings you here today Kira?" Lacus asked.

"Just to see you of course." Kira replied.

Lacus giggled. She took Birdy from her shoulder and handed it back to Kira. Birdy hopped around his head- then it flew away. Kira sat down on the bench. He glanced back at his girl friend.

"Sit with me Lacus."

She quickly seated beside Kira. She noticed that Kira was wearing the blue pendant. She pointed a finger at it.

"That's a cute pendant." Lacus said.

"Yeah… Because of this pendant I… I found my sister." Kira told her.

"Are you happy that Cagalli's your sister?"

"Of course I am… I'm really lucky."

Kira sighed in relief. He turned to the sky as he thought about his twin sister. He clasped the pendant in his hand. He leaned his head on Lacus' shoulder. A tear fell from his eye.

"Kira, what's the matter?"

"I'm just happy that's all… I would have never guessed that…"

"That the family that took care of you wasn't your real family?"

"I also think of it that way at first but later I realized that the family that I have now is my real family and I love them very much. I'm very grateful that they took me in, gave me a home, and nurtured me all the way. They considered me as their own child. I'm so glad that mom and dad are my parents."

The pink princess brushed through his hair as her hand slowly ran on his face. Kira gently grabbed her hand from his face. He deeply stared into her crystal blue eyes. He lifted her hand and placed a kiss. Lacus' cheeks were burning hot. Her heart pumped like crazy and yet she had a sweet smile on her face. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead.

"I love you Kira." Lacus whispered.

"I love you too…" Kira replied.

Kira held her face and pulled her towards to him until his lips met hers. The engaging passion crawled through their body. They felt each others warmth and love. It was a wonderful feeling for them.

_Minerva High_

The class of 1-D has just done their endurance run with Cagalli finishing first as usual. The teacher commented on her excellent speed. She just smiled. She quickly turned to a tree and leaned against it. Even though she has gotten used to running she still felt a little tired. She grabbed her towel and wiped the sweat of her face and neck. She took a deep breathe and gradually lets it out.

"That was a good run." She thought.

Suddenly something cold came to her face. Her eyes widened as she felt the chilling temperature of the water bottle. She glanced at the person who was holding it. She smiled at him.

"It's you Athrun… It's so cold." Cagalli said.

"Sorry about that… Here you go." Athrun handed the water bottle.

"Thanks." She replied.

Athrun sat down. He rested his back on the tree behind him. He opened his bottle and started drinking it. The cold water felt really good for his tired body. He lets out a refreshing sound.

"Much better…"

He glanced at Cagalli. He grabbed her hand and slowly pulled her downwards. Cagalli had no choice but to sit so close to him. She silently drank the water as she tried to hide her burning red cheeks.

"You're going to be competing tomorrow in the finals right?" Athrun asked.

Cagalli turned to him and nodded her head. She arched her legs and stared straightly at the ground. She gave out a big sigh.

"Yeah… And I've been training like in hell." Cagalli said. "But it's okay…"

"Good luck." Athrun told her.

She patted his shoulder, assuring him that she's going to do her best for tomorrow. The team, no the whole school, was counting on her effort. This sometimes pissed Cagalli since for her it's just a whole lot of pressure. But for the sport she's ready to compete anytime.

Athrun rubbed her head like Cagalli was a little 7-year old girl. It was totally messing up her unruly hair. She told him to stop but he wouldn't listen. Soon she felt a slight tickle in her body. She noticed that Athrun was totally tickling her. It made her laugh so hard. Athrun giggled at her reaction. He would have never guessed that the toughest girl in school was actually ticklish. He continued on doing so until tears fell from Cagalli's eyes from all that laughing.

"Stop it Athrun!" Cagalli demanded.

"No way this is so much fun." Athrun said.

The other students watched them in their called "fun" session. They thought it to be very cute seeing them like that. One guy started teasing them like "You two are so sweet", "You're a lucky guy Athrun!", and other stuff related to that.

When Cagalli and Athrun heard them teasing they immediately stopped. Their faces turned red so furiously. They faced each other and noticed the blushes. They couldn't help but to laugh at each other. It made them realized that they do have feelings for each other but didn't have the guts to admit it yet.

_Cagalli's House_

Cagalli brought Kira along with her when she got home. She planned on introducing him to her parents. Kira was kind of nervous but his sister assured him that her parents are not scary.

"My parents will be home any minute… I'll go fix some snacks while we wait."

The blondie went into the kitchen to fetch some snacks for Kira. He glanced around the room and spotted a picture of a little Cagalli, smiling widely while holding a red balloon on her right hand.

"Cagalli is really cute."

All of a sudden the door broadly opened. Kira peeked to see who that was. To his surprise it was the Athha Family. He quickly stood and greeted them properly.

"Good afternoon! I'm Kira Yamato, a classmate of your daughter." Kira said.

"Yamato? That sounds familiar." Mr. Athha said.

"He's more than a classmate dad, he's my brother." Cagalli suddenly spoke as she came out from the kitchen with a tray of cookies in her left hand.

"You mean this Yamato is your brother? Well now that you mention it you two do look alike." Mr. Athha said.

"Kira Yamato… I can' believe it… You've grown so much." Mrs. Athha spoke.

Cagalli's father surprisingly gave Kira a big manly hug. He held Kira so tightly that he was starting to plead for oxygen.

"Father… Kira can't breathe anymore." Cagalli told him.

The father released Kira. He rubbed his head and smiled. Cagalli's dad was quite surprise to see him again after a long time yet he was very happy.

Mrs. Athha noticed the blue pendant that Kira was wearing. A slight grin came to her face as she turned to Cagalli. She examined the two pendants very well and proved to be identical. From the observation she knew that Kira and Cagalli were siblings.

_Clyne Mansion_

Lacus was getting ready for dinner. Her father invited Patrick Zala and Athrun. She really wasn't in the mood since she knew that the fathers were going to talk about the whole engagement thing again. She moaned a bit. She sat down on her bed. She grabbed a pillow and hugged it tightly as if she was hugging Kira.

"I'm not going to let this go any further… Tonight I'll tell my father."

After getting dress Lacus went downstairs. She saw her father sitting on a couch watching TV in the living room. She slowly approached her father. She seated beside him. She faintly smiled at him. Lacus was really nervous about telling him but she has too for the sake of Kira, Athrun, and herself.

"Father I have something to tell you…" Lacus started.

Siegel picked up the remote and turned off the TV. He turned to Lacus.

"What is it?" He asked.

"It's about the en…"

Before Lacus could answer the doorbell rang. Siegel knew that it was Patrick and Athrun. He quickly stood and went to the door. He opened the door. He saw the two Zala's standing, formally dressed. He greeted them.

"Glad you could make it Patrick, and you too Athrun. Come in…"

Patrick and Athrun entered. Athrun spotted his pink-haired friend sitting on the couch.

"Lacus… hey… So how's life?" Athrun said.

"I've decided to inform my father about Kira." Lacus told him.

"What! Erm… Well I think that's great but I wonder how your father will react?"

"He must accept it no matter what. I love Kira."

"I understand. I'll try my best to support you."

"Thank you Athrun."

Siegel called Lacus and Athrun attention telling them that dinner was ready. They all proceeded to the dining room where the delicious foods were all set on the table. The foods looked so good you could feel your mouth drool. They took their seats and started eating.

Lacus wasn't really in the mood to eat so she ate slowly. She took a quick glimpse at her father who was busily talking to her fiancé's father. Her hands turned cold as ice, feeling so nervous. Soon her whole body started trembling. Athrun felt worried. He could see the sadness clearly in her blue eyes. He placed a hand on her shoulder which made Lacus looked at him. Athrun smiled. He nodded his head informing her that it will be all right.

She glanced back at her father. She took one deep breathe. She stood which attracted the fathers' attention.

"Father, I will not marry Athrun and that's final." Lacus said.

Patrick Zala turned his glares at his friend. He wondered why Lacus was saying those things all of the sudden. All along he thought that she was happy that she could marry his son. He felt assured and now this. He demanded an explanation from Siegel.

Siegel didn't answer. He looked at Lacus seriously.

"What are you saying? The engagement has been confirmed and I thought."

"You only thought but you never asked me how I felt."

"But I thought you like Athrun."

"I like him but only as a friend and there's someone else I love."

Siegel got surprised after that last sentence. Lacus loved someone else but whom? He wondered who the guy could be.

"If you must know Lacus is in a relationship with my childhood friend Kira Yamato right now." Athrun spoke.

Athrun's father slammed his hands on the table. He demanded his son to shut his mouth. Athrun just smiled at him. He turned to Siegel.

"I'm sorry but I'm calling the engagement off. Lacus made it clear didn't she?"

Lacus felt relief. Athrun was totally helping her out. She could just hug him at that moment to thank him. Lacus clasped her hands. She went over to her father side. She knelt down before him. She pleaded Siegel to call of the engagement.

Siegel was most surprise. He realized that Lacus was serious. But how can he just forget about the whole thing? One reason was because of Patrick. He was so looking forward to this but he also couldn't take away his daughter's happiness. He turned to his friend with a calm expression on his face.

"I can't force her so I'm sorry Patrick." Siegel said.

"What! But…"

Patrick was about to disagree until Athrun placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned to his son. Athrun smiled and shook his head.

"If you must also know I'm in love with someone else too." Athrun told him.

"Then if that's the case I won't force you. So that's it…" Patrick sighed.

Lacus and Athrun gave each other a smile. They felt so relief to finally get out of their engagement. They would have never guessed that their fathers were sympathetic. They could have just said it a long time ago but they were afraid. Even still, they've escaped from the burden their fathers placed on them.

_Minerva High_

"What are you guys serious!" Cagalli yelled.

Her voice was so loud that it was able to reach the next room. She was so surprised because Lacus just told her that the engagement was off. Cagalli wanted to jump on Lacus to give her a big tight hug. She was very happy that her best friend won't be troubled by love anymore and what's more was that she wasn't engage to Athrun anymore.

"Now you and Kira will have nothing to worry about." Cagalli said.

"Yes…" Lacus replied.

Lacus turned to her best friend's twin brother who also heard the great news from Athrun. He was busily talking to Athrun, laughing, smiling, and giggling. Just by staring at him made her heart want to melt like butter. Kira made her feel so warm inside. She could feel her cheeks burning but she didn't mind if anyone will see it. She sighed in relief and turned to Cagalli.

"My problem is over and yours is just beginning."

"What do you mean Lacus?"

"Your problem in love life…"

Lacus stood and walked over to Kira. Cagalli wondered what she meant by that. As she uttered the word love, she quickly set eyes on Athrun.

"Does she mean?"

She started blushing.

"Dammit I'm blushing again!"

_Computer Research Room_

Athrun went into the research room to search the internet for his given homework. He sat down and faced the screen of the computer.

"Hi Zala!"

He turned his head around and saw Jean waving her hand. She quickly approached him.

"Jean… what brings you here?"

"I was about to ask the same thing to you… I'm just here to get my notebook I left yesterday."

She turned to the screen. She noticed that Athrun was researching about the newly developed technology. It seemed interesting for her so she pulled a chair and sat beside Athrun.

"Let me watch you do your research." Jean said.

"Okay then…" Athrun replied.

TYPE… TYPE… TYPE… TYPE….

"When are you planning to tell her Zala?" Jean suddenly asked.

"Huh? About what Jean?"

"You know about Athha… You do like her I mean a lot."

"Yeah I do… I don't know but whenever I try to say it, it just won't come out."

"Well she is Yamato's twin sister right so ask him to help you out or maybe Clyne."

"No… I have to do this on my own. Problem is I don't know how."

"Valentine's day is fast approaching… She will surely give you chocolates."

"Are you saying that I should say it on that day?"

Jean nodded her head. She knew that Valentine's Day will be the perfect day for it. Girls just adore that day. She placed a hand on Athrun's head. She pulled him closer to her so she could whisper.

"Don't worry you won't be disappointed… Athha will be happy."

She made two thumbs up. She stood and walked towards the door. She stopped and glanced back at him.

"Just prepare until that day comes, Zala!"

Athrun deeply sighed. Of course he thought Jean was right that he should tell Cagalli but he really doesn't have a clue how. He crossed his arms and thought about it for a while. His face turned serious. His eyes concentrated on the wall. His mind came flowing with Cagalli's images. He smiled. He finally had an idea.

"It's decided… I will tell her." Athrun muttered.

**To be continued….**

JC: It's the end of Chapter 13… Wow I can't believe I made it long. Oh well I kinda like it this way. Jean keeps calling her friends by their last name to show her respect to them. That's always her way. Anyway next chapter will be updated soon… Don't forget to review and no flaming.

_Next chapter's title is Valentine Day Mayhem _

_Note: Lacus, Cagalli, and Fllay are the popular girls in school so what do you think will happen in the next chapter? _

"Not again."

"Wow you two got so many letters!"

"Just another pile of thrash!"

"Don't say that… I think it's sweet."

"Do you think it's nice stacking our letter with these junk?"

Giggles "You always say that."


	14. Valentine Day Mayhem

JC: I'm very sorry for the late update. Thanks for the reviews. They mean so much to me. Now I present you all Chapter 14.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed.

_Will Athrun reveal his true feelings to Cagalli? _

* * *

**High School Life**

Phase 14: Valentine Day's Mayhem

The alarm clock rang. It was already 6:30 AM, time for someone to get out of bed to go to school. But Cagalli was just too lazy to wake up since it was the day she hated the most. It was Valentine Day. The name Valentine just sickened her. For Cagalli it was a day of chaos. The alarm clock kept ringing which really started to get on her nerves. She lifted her head. She suddenly banged her fist on the alarm clock and it almost broke if not for her controllable strength. She jumped out of bed and sighed. She opened the curtains and viewed the bright blue sky. It was such a nice day but she was sure trouble has yet to come.

"I wish I was sick today so I won't go to school." Cagalli complained.

A knock came to her bedroom door. She opened the door that revealed her mother. Her mother gave her a fierce glare. Cagalli backed away a little. The glare intimidated her a little. Her mother was giving her the "You're going to school whether you like it or not" stare. She knew Cagalli too well.

"Don't try to pretend you're sick today like you did last year."

"No! Don't worry mother I'll go to school."

It seemed like Cagalli had no chance of escaping. She totally doesn't want to go. Well... life must go on... so she took a quick shower and got dressed. As she put on her wristbands her eyes caught sight of the picture frame beside her bed. It was the picture of the twins being held by her real mother. A small smile was made on her face.

"Mother... I finally found my brother. He got your eyes and maybe the personality too." Cagalli murmured.

Cagalli hurried out of the room since she noticed that she was running late. She ran down the stair like a stomping giant. Her mother heard the loud thuds. She stepped out of the kitchen and managed to grab Cagalli's wrist. Cagalli turned to her mother.

"What now!"

"Breakfast now!"

"But mom I'm going to be..."

"Eat!"

Defeated by her own mother, she marched right to the dining table and sat down. When the food was set on the table Cagalli quickly gobbled it up as if she hasn't eaten in days. For a sporty girl like her she sure can eat fast.

_Minerva High_

Fllay opened her locker. She peeped inside and saw so many Valentine cards, chocolates, and letters. Her friend just felt envious about it. Of course...Fllay is really popular plus she's into cheerleading so the boys would just drool watching her perform. Fllay was used to getting so many gifts for Valentine. It seemed like the half of the boys in school gave her the gifts.

"Wow Fllay can I have one of the chocolates?"

"Of course you can Mica... There's plenty."

Kira just happened to pass by which made Fllay giggly all over.

"Hi there!"

She greeted but Kira ignored her. Okay that was just plain rude to ignore a girl like that but for Kira's case it's acceptable since it was just Fllay. He still hasn't forget how mean Fllay was to Lacus, to his girlfriend. Fllay couldn't just stand being ignored especially not by a cute guy so she walked right in front of him.

"Is Kira still mad at me?"

"Fllay please... Lacus is waiting for me."

Kira had a serious expression on his face. He walked pass her without saying another word. Ouch! She felt like her heart been shattered into tiny pieces. Her eyes narrowed as her fists were clenched tightly. Lacus came into her mind. The more she thought about the pink princess and her beloved Kira together, the more it angered her. Yes it was jealousy.

_Dominion High_

Valentine Day is not really Shinn's favorite day but for Stellar he's willing to make an exception. He was currently walking towards his room holding a box of chocolates in his right hand. For the first time in his entire life, he was actually giving a gift to someone on Valentine Day. Stellar was very special to him. She's Shinn's dream girl for crying out loud. She's the only one who can make him clumsy... blushed like crazy... and act so nice to... others. Finally he arrived at his destination. He felt so nervous at the moment. With head high and heart up, he opened the door and entered. He saw Stellar, quietly reading a book about a love story. He began to tremble as if he felt a ghost passed by.

"There she is... Gulp Okay Shinn you can do this." He thought.

He slowly approached Stellar. He opened his mouth but no words came out. Just looking at her made him soften like a jelly. He almost dropped his box which caught Stellar's attention.

"Hi Shinn! Happy Valentine Day!" Stellar said.

"Ha...ppy... Valentine... Stellar..." Shinn replied tensely.

Shinn lightly blushed... curses himself again for blushing in front of Stellar. He couldn't help it. Stellar is just so... cute! He almost forgot about the chocolates. He handed it to her.

"Wow I love chocolates! Is this really for me?"

Shinn nodded his head. Stellar opened the box and ate one. The luscious taste of the sweet caramel chocolate enlightened her so much. She turned to Shinn with pleased look on her face.

"Thank you Shinn."

"Um... Yeah... Stellar I wanted to ask you something..."

"What is it?"

"Would like to go..."

Before Shinn could finish, Kai startled him from behind. He almost jumped out of the window. Kai up to his tricks again couldn't help but laugh at his red-eyed friend. You know what happens when Kai pulls a fast one on Shinn... Of course he got angry and started chasing Kai around the classroom.

"I'm going to murder you this time!"

"I would like to see you try."

Stellar started laughing. It was quite entertaining to watch the two friends fight. Even though they were like that, deep down, they would still care for each other.

_Minerva High _

"Not again!" Cagalli yelled.

"Wow! Your locker is full of letters." Kira pointed out.

"Mine is stocked too." Lacus added.

"You girls are really popular." Athrun said.

"It sometimes pains to be popular. Just look at all these letters." Cagalli told him.

One of the many reasons Cagalli hates Valentine it's because of the tons of letter her admirers give her.

"I think its sweet..." Lacus said.

"Well I think these letters are just a bunch of thrash to me." Cagalli added.

Cagalli loudly closed her locker door. She crossed her arms and leaned her back on the locker. She made a frustrating look on her face. Who wouldn't be piss? She had to read all those letters later and if she could she would throw them all in the waste bin. On the other hand, the pink princess enjoyed getting gifts as much as Fllay does. She started reading a letter from anonymous. But she was stopped by Kira who had something to give her.

"Here you go Lacus." Kira said.

He handed a small velvet box to her. Lacus wondered what was inside the box. Hopefully it's not a proposal ring since they were too young to get married. Lacus opened the box. It revealed a golden curve hairpin. Lacus gasped in surprise to see such a shiny thing. She turned to Kira with an appreciated look. Kira smiled back at her. She took the hairpin and placed it on her pink hair.

"It looks good on you Lacus." Kira said.

"Thank you very much Kira." Lacus answered.

Cagalli couldn't help feel a little envious towards her twin brother. Who wouldn't be? Your girlfriend is the most beautiful and kindest girl in the whole school so Kira's so lucky to have her. Still she was quite satisfied seeing the two of them act so sweetly.

Athrun also wanted to give something to Cagalli but because of his darn shyness he hesitated. He glanced at the gift in his hand which was a ring. He was a bit afraid that Cagalli wouldn't like it since she has been complaining about Valentine. She was just standing right beside him so he convinced himself to give it try.

"Cagalli... I" Athrun spoke.

But before he said anything a group of boys rushed in on them. They were all holding love letters. They quickly surrounded Cagalli and Lacus like a bunch of bumblebees.

"I was expecting this." Cagalli murmured.

"Stop complaining and let's just enjoy this. Valentine only lasts a day." Lacus whispered.

Gosh, the boys were persistent. Most of them were trying to ask them out on a date. They were getting on Cagalli's last nerves. She could just chase them away for all she cared but Lacus pulled her back. Left with no other choice, the blonde deeply sighed.

"This day couldn't get any worse." Cagalli thought.

Kira and Athrun watched the two girls handle the group of boys with ease. They were sort of use to all that attention so it was no big deal for them. They knew how popular Cagalli and Lacus were but they really didn't think that they can really make boys go gaga for them. Any boy can fall for the pink-princess, Lacus Clyne since she's like the perfect girl in the eyes of men and especially for Kira. In Cagalli's case, boys admire her for her overwhelming cuteness and her talent in sports. Even though Cagalli had a tomboyish personality the boys were attracted to her.

Athrun hid the ring seeing that Cagalli was still busy handling the boys. He decided to give it later when they're alone. Jean arrived and greeted the two best friends. She wore a smile on her face meaning that she's in a very good mood.

"Hi Zala! Hi Yamato! Happy Valentine Day!" Jean said.

"Good morning Jean." Athrun and Kira said at the same time.

Jean noticed the pack of wolves surrounding her two popular friends.

"As expected... Every one of those single boys is trying to ask your girls out. Make sure they won't go with neither of them." Jean told them.

"Don't worry Lacus promised me yesterday to a date after class." Kira said.

" A date! That's so sweet. I hope you two will have a good time." Jean then turned to Athrun.

He was a bit spaced out as he sets eyes on the blonde girl. Jean nudged his elbow to call his attention. Athrun glanced at Jean.

"So did you give it already? Did you tell her that you love her so much?" Jean asked.

She was persistent. He couldn't blame her for being anxious for him and Cagalli. She's like a match maker and according to her Cagalli is the best girl for Athrun. Of course he highly believed that... Cagalli meant so much to him. But right now his beloved blonde girl is being annoyed by those giggling admirers and it made him feel a little jealous. What more if it were Kai? Athrun shudder the mere thought of him.

"Hey I'm asking you Zala!" Jean yelled.

Athrun has yet to answer her question so Jean got pissed. Athrun apologized for the hold up. He pulled out the ring from his pocket and showed it to Jean.

"Wow! It's great! I know that kind of ring. It's a promise ring right?" Jean told him.

He silently nodded his head.

"Give it to her this instant." Jean demanded.

"What! As in right now! No way! She's a little busy at the moment." Athrun replied.

He glanced back at Cagalli who seemed to be running out of patience. He wanted to charge into the crowd and take her away but if he does that he may get in trouble.

Jean realized that Athrun was too timid even to move so a plan came into her mind.

"Zala please head out to the gym."

"What? Why?"

"I'll tell Athha to meet you there."

"Eh... Okay then." Athrun took off immediately.

She called Lacus' attention by waving her hand. Lacus turned her head at Jean. Jean started moving her lips as if she were talking only no sounds came out. She was telling her that Athrun wanted some time alone with Cagalli and that he's waiting at the gym. Lacus knew how to read lips a little so she got the message.

"Cagalli, didn't you tell me that you still have some work to do?" Lacus said.

"Huh!" said Cagalli. "What are you talking about?"

Lacus pulled Cagalli a little closer so she could whisper in her ear.

"Athrun wants to talk to you. He's in the gym. I'm trying to make an excuse so you can get out this crowd." Lacus explained.

"Okay." Cagalli replied. "Yes I still have some research work."

"But Ms. Cagalli we still didn't give you our letters?" one guy from the middle of the line told her.

"Just slip them in my locker. Well I better go now!" Cagalli said.

"Ms. Cagalli!" Her admirers yelled.

Okay that sounded so annoying for her but she tried her best to control her patience. She turned to the boys with a false smile on her face.

"I'm really grateful for all the letters and I promise to read them later. I really have to go now!" Cagalli said.

She started running away. What a relief! Finally she got away from those boys and it's all thanks to Lacus' help.

Meanwhile Kira sneaked Lacus away from them while they turned their heads a second ago. He couldn't stand so many boys so close to his pink-haired girlfriend. Of course as her boyfriend, he was a bit protective.

_Gym_

Her heart pounded so loudly. Her hands turned cold. She felt little edgy. She kept thinking why Athrun wanted to talk to her alone and of all places in the Gym. A sweet memory from that place was planted in her head. The time that Athrun and her accidentally kissed. Her cheeks burned in crimson red. Her right hand reached for the door. She was a bit hesitant to enter but Athrun was waiting for her. She slowly slid the door wide open. She took a deep breathe to help her calm down a bit. She walked into the gym.

"Are you here?" Cagalli asked.

Suddenly someone sneaked up on her. He gave her quite a surprise that she almost broke down with a heart attack.

"I'm sorry about that."

That voice... It belonged to Athrun. Her head slowly turned to the blue-haired guy. She raised a hand and waved at him.

"Hi... Athrun... You wanted to talk to me?"

Athrun looked away. His cheeks burned in redness. Silence surrounded them. With the feeling of awkwardness inside of them, they hesitated to even utter a word.

Cagalli decided to break the silence between them. She glared at Athrun. She was a bit irritated for telling her to meet him and do nothing. With an eyebrow raised and arms crossed, she questioned Athrun.

"Okay what is this all about?"

"I... well um..."

"Athrun, what's the heck is wrong with you? You're acting so strange all of the sudden."

"I'm sorry it's just that I..."

"What is it?"

His heart was telling him to go for it but his mind said the opposite. He was confused to whether to follow his heart or his mind. He couldn't decide. But then Jean just popped into his head. She reminded him to be confident. Now his all set, he was ready to give it to Cagalli. He glanced at the blonde with great determination. His emerald green eyes were locked into her golden orbs. Sudden feelings of love and passion overwhelmed him. He gently lifted Cagalli's hand and placed a small peck on it.

"Athrun..."

She was blushing madly now. Her face was redder than a red traffic light... if she wanted she could pose one already. She knew Athrun could be so sweet sometimes but she would never have guessed that he was so much like a knight. She just felt like a real princess at that moment.

Athrun ran his hands through her golden locks to her smooth and silky face. He giggled at the sight of those burning red cheeks. He removed his hand from her. It made its way to his pocket where the ring was. He pulled it out and slipped it on Cagalli's ring finger.

"Huh!" gasped Cagalli. "Hold on a sec! Is this a proposal but Athrun were too young..."

He expected for her to say that. It really looked like a proposal but Athrun assured her it was not.

"But what's with the ring?" Cagalli asked.

"It's a promise ring." Athrun briefly replied.

Cagalli stared at him oddly. A promise ring he said... it came to her mind that it was his valentine present for her but she felt a little different about Athrun. Unexpectedly she was pulled into warm embrace, his arms wrapped securely around her. Her eyes widened in surprise... Not knowing how to react, not knowing what to say, Cagalli just enjoyed the moment.

"I love you..."

Three simple words were released from his mouth. He uttered it so softly... she couldn't believe it... Athrun loves her... That's what she heard... I love you...

"That ring is the symbol of my promise to love you forever."

She hugged him back. She faced Athrun as tears of joy fell from her golden orbs. He smiled and wiped the tears with his thumb. He leaned forward and kissed her so passionately. They broke for air, still not taking eyes off of each other. Cagalli grinned...

"You really know how to charm a girl..." laughed Cagalli. "I love you too Athrun..."

Without having second thoughts they kissed each other again but this time Cagalli was prepared for it.

"Yes!" Someone shouted.

Athrun and Cagalli heard the voice which sounded very familiar. They peeked outside and found Jean. It seemed like that she was spying on them. Jean was rather prepared for their scolding but instead she received compliments from them.

"Thank you Jean! If it weren't for you I wouldn't have the guts to tell Cagalli how I feel." Athrun said.

"Um... Well you were so slow and I really had to do something." Jean scratched her head feeling tongue-tied at the moment.

"You knew all along that Athrun was crushing on me." Cagalli pointed out.

"Sorry... It was a secret and Zala would kill me if I told you," exclaimed Jean. "Even so I'm happy for the both of you. Athha you must feel pretty good right now."

"Well yeah of course..." said Cagalli. "Do me a favor will you, stop calling us by our last names."

"Eh... Um... Well I'm..."

"Jean you're our friend so please..."

The red-headed girl faced them with a smile. She nodded her head and swore that from now on she'll call them by their first names.

_Dominion High_

Only a few minutes left until class is dismissed. Shinn was getting excited since he's going on a date with Stellar. He managed to tell her even Kai kept butting in. Shinn took a quick glimpse at Stellar. He could feel his heart being swallowed by his emotions for her.

"Stellar... I'm going to say it for sure." Shinn thought.

On the other hand Kai was anxious himself. He was planning to see Cagalli and asked her out on a date. The bell finally rang. Kai grabbed his bag pack and left in a hurry. He ran as fast as he could to reach to Minerva High in time.

"Wait for me Cagalli..." He thought.

_Minerva High _

He leaned at the nearby wall trying to catch his breathe. He was exhausted from all that running considering the long distance from his school. But he could careless of the place if it's to see Cagalli then he would do anything.

"I wish Cagalli would show up... I want to see her real bad." Kai murmured.

It was taking longer than he thought. He glanced around to see any signs of Cagalli but not even her shadow could be seen. Tired of standing around, he went into the school. Luckily, he remembered where Cagalli's classroom was.

"Okay time to find her." He said.

He climbed up the stairs, trying not to get distracted by the cute girls passing by. He reached the 2nd floor where the 1st year's rooms were. The place had a similar structure to his school. He looked around a bit and continued down the hallways. Finally, he reached room 1-d. A smile appeared on his face- at last he will see his lovely blonde crush.

He reached for the door and in a flash he slid the door open. Instead of seeing Cagalli's cheerful face, he saw something else which left him in quite a shock. At that moment he witnessed Athrun and Cagalli hugging each other. A heavy but painful sting came to his heart. It was like his heart was being pricked by thousands of needles. He slowly backed away pretending that he saw nothing. But it was just nothing for it was now printed on his mind- a memory he wanted to forget. A tear fell out from his eye, and then he ran as fast as he could.

"Cagalli... I," he murmured, "Dammed!"

"See you tomorrow, Athrun!" Cagalli said.

"Take care Cagalli." Athrun replied.

Athrun waved his hand. He took one last glimpse at his new girlfriend. He smiled and uttered "I love you..." in the end. He started walking away.

Cagalli watched him as she walked farther until he disappeared from sight. She leaned her back on the wall. She let out a deep sigh. Well... she had to admit that it was the best valentine that she ever had. Her previous ones were just too chaotic, like being chase by boys, finding mountains of letter in her locker, and sniggering girls asking her for some advice. Ack! Imagine her giving out pointers on love life... No way! Lacus would be more suitable for that kind of thing but her... no!

"Hi there Cagalli!"

"That voice," mumbled Cagalli, "Don't tell me it's..."

She turned around hoping that it wasn't the person who she though it was... but apparently it was. It was none other than Fllay Alster.

"What do you want?" Cagalli shrugged.

"You know I've received a lot of Valentine gifts today from the boys," said Fllay, "I'm sure you have lots too."

"As if you care, Alster... If you want to pick a fight with me then I'm not in the mood for it."

"No, it's not like that. I want to be friends with you."

"What!"

**To be continued...**

* * *

JC: Next chapter will be updated soon... I apologize again if it's late... I have little time to write this. Oh yeah... Please don't forget to review and no flaming! Arigato in advance!

_Next on Gundam Seed: High school life, Tragedy._


	15. Tragedy

JC: Chapter 15 finally finished! I want to thank for all those who review! I hope you GS/GSD fans enjoy reading this especially the AsuCaga fans.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed.

_Something will happen to Cagalli..._

* * *

**High School Life**

Phase 15: Tragedy

"What?" screamed Cagalli, "You want to make friends with me? Am I hearing this correctly?"

"You got it... Come on I'm sick of us treating each other like mortal enemies." Fllay countered.

"You must be planning something."

"No I'm not... Please believe me... I'm sorry for the bad things I've done before."

"Hmm... I don't know. I can't trust you just like that."

Fllay was known to be a liar, a traitor, so it was hard for Cagalli to believe in her words. Cagalli knew that Fllay was up to something, she could just feel it.

"Please just believe me Cagalli... I want us to be friends," said Fllay, "Is that to much to ask?"

"You must earn your trust first. I can't just go on putting my faith in you."

Cagalli turned around and walked away. Being friends with Fllay was the last thing she'll ever do... she thought that Fllay was planning something against Lacus again which is the main reason that she refused. If Fllay could show her that she really changed then that's the time she'll earned her friendship but as of now well... just be it.

Of course Fllay couldn't just let Cagalli get away with it. She asked her to be her friend and she just rudely rejected the offer. Her fists were clenched tight. Her eyes glared at the blonde girl, full of rage. With no hesitation, she marched towards Cagalli and pulled her hair.

"Hey! Ouch! What do you think you're doing?" Cagalli asked.

"Nobody turns their back at Fllay Alster." There goes her pride again.

"Let me go Fllay!" Cagalli demanded.

Cagalli managed to break out of Fllay's grasps. Her hair was totally mess up. She looked at Fllay angrily this time. She was ready to pounce on that red-head girl. With no one to stop her, it was the perfect opportunity for payback.

"You're going to get it this time Fllay!" Cagalli warned.

But Fllay showed no signs of intimidation. Even though Cagalli was lot stronger than her, she had no intentions of backing away from the twin sister of her beloved Kira. In a flash, Fllay charged with full force thus, pushing her down the stairs. Cagalli rolled down the stairs like a red carpet. She reached the bottom floor at an unconscious state. Blood crawled down from her head which screamed pain!

Fllay gasped in horror. She didn't expect that to happen. She had no intention of pushing Cagalli down the stairs. She had no intention of injuring her like that. Her good side came flushing into her heart. Feeling concern for Cagalli, she ran towards her. She could see an ample amount of blood coming out. Fllay started to panic.

"Can somebody help me! Please anyone!" Fllay shouted.

Luckily Kai was still sticking around the school, still looking depress as ever. He heard Fllay's voice coming from inside the school building. He quickly rushed to the scene. He saw the red-head girl holding a familiar blonde girl. You idiot that's Cagalli! He was like totally freaked out to see Cagalli in her current state.

"What just happen here!" Kai asked.

"I accidentally push her and now she's..."

"We better get her to the hospital quick... She's losing lots of blood already."

_Clyne Mansion_

In the midst of the beautiful rose garden, a pink-haired princess was singing her song. The song was called Fields of Hope- it was a soothing and relaxing song. She sang it with ease- her voice was heavenly that it could even tame a wild beast.

"Fields of hope..."

Ring! Ring! Ring! - Her cell phone rang. She picked up her phone and held it beside her ear.

"Hello this is Lacus Clyne... Who is this?"

"It's... me... Kai!"

"Kai? What do you want? Are you looking for Cagalli?"

"No it's not that. Something has happen to her."

Kai sounded like he was panicking which made Lacus worried. She felt a little ache in her heart. Kai breathed heavily as he tried to calm himself. He slowly told Lacus that Cagalli had an accident. Lacus shrieked at the mere thought of it.

"What happen to her?"

"She fell down the stairs," told Kai, "Clyne you better head down to the hospital quick. She's in a pretty bad shape."

"Yes I will... I'm going to inform Kira and Athrun about this too." Lacus said.

Without a second thought, Lacus rushed inside to get her driver. She demanded to drive her to the hospital ASAP. Her best friend was hurt and she needs to be there at her side. From Kai's tone of voice, he was serious about it. She only hoped that everything will be all right. She wasn't sure if she could stand seeing Cagalli in pain- it would only hurt her more.

"Cagalli please... hang on."

Lacus pulled out her cell phone and called Kira. As expected Kira had the same reaction as Lacus did. Kira informed her that he'll be heading to the hospital too. Now it only leaves Athrun- she tried calling him but he wouldn't answer his phone. It seemed like he wasn't home. She dialed his cell phone number but still no luck.

"Athrun, just where are you right now?" asked Lacus, "You need to know this more than anybody."

_Hospital_

Cagalli was currently being treated by the doctor and nurses in the emergency room. They succeeded in stopping the bleeding but she was still unstable. She has lost so many bloods so she's in need of a blood-transfer. The nurses checked her blood type which was A.

Meanwhile Kai kept pacing himself in front of the room. He was worried sick about her.

"Oh man, Cagalli I hope you're okay..."

He glanced at his shirt covered with blood stains. He was the one who carried Cagalli all the way to the hospital. He ran like he never ran before with the girl he loves in his strong arms. He almost got ran down by a truck just to get his destination. He got in a lot of trouble just to save Cagalli.

The doctor finally came out. He told Kai the bad news about Cagalli's condition. Cagalli needed blood real quick because she could die.

"No... Cagalli..." spoke Kai, "What's her blood type?"

"It's A... You have to find a blood donor with this type of blood for your friend."

At that moment, Lacus and Kira arrived. They spotted Kai. They approached him and asked about Cagalli. Kai gave them a "she's not okay" look. He suddenly banged his fist on the wall as his eyes glared with rage.

"It's all that Fllay's fault!" Kai said.

"Fllay? What does she have to do with this?" Kira asked.

"It was her damn fault why Cagalli's here in the first place," answered Kai, "She pushed Cagalli down the stairs."

"What!" gasped Lacus, "I know Fllay could be mean sometimes but I didn't think she would actually..."

"Try to kill my only sister." Kira said.

Kira clenched his fist- his eyes were filled with anger towards Fllay. If he'll see her again, he'll make sure that she's going to pay big time. Kira was dead serious. Cagalli was precious to him. Revenge started binding his heart- it was a desire to get Fllay. He held his fist high near his chest as it trembled in fury.

Suddenly a soft hand touched it. He turned to the owner of the hand which was his girlfriend. Lacus glanced into his purple eyes so deeply with kindness. It made Kira calmed down a bit. His thoughts about Fllay were slowly dispersing as she felt his heart gaining warmness. Amazing how Lacus was able to do that...

"Kira you should think about Cagalli first..." Lacus said.

"You're right," answered Kira, "Thanks."

"The doctor said she needs a blood-transfer," said Kai. "Blood type A..."

"I'm her twin brother so I have the same blood type." Kira replied.

"Thank goodness then let's inform the doctor immediately." Kai told him.

"You guys do that while I try to contact Athrun again." Lacus said.

_Zala Mansion_

Apparently, Athrun just came home from his father's office. He entered his room and placed his bag on the table. He noticed that his cell phone was ringing. He picked it up and held it beside his ear. "Hello?" He spoke.

A light and sweet voice answered back- it was none other than the pink princess. She seemed to have a frog in her throat or more like she was hesitant to tell him. A heavy feeling suddenly arose in his heart. He had hoped that what she was about to tell him wasn't bad news but...

"It's Cagalli... she's hurt and ah..."

A shock expression appeared on his face- he just heard that his beloved girlfriend was hurt... As Lacus goes on he came to know what happen to Cagalli. Angered he was when he found out that Fllay was to blame. The feeling of hatred emerged like that of Kira's. But enough thinking of that bitch- Cagalli was more important.

"I'll be there right away, Lacus." Athrun assured.

With one click on his cell phone, he quickly barged out of his room. He ran towards his garage to get out his car. He started the engine. He noticed the skies darkened with grey clouds.

"Damn it's going to rain!" He thought.

As the gates open he took off instantly.

_Alster Mansion_

Fllay arrived home and went straight to her room. She didn't even bother greeting her two sisters along the way- she just ignored them. Normally, her sisters would bother with her but they knew something was awfully wrong. Fllay had a big problem in her hands. Meyrin and Luna wanted to find out.

In her room, she wept... She felt regret, disappointment, and disgust for herself. Sure, she could do mean things to other people but not nearly kill them. After what she did to Cagalli, she doesn't even feel like eating or doing anything else. She remembered how she pushed the blonde down the stairs resulting to an immense head injury. How could she forget the blood trailing down on Cagalli's face, thus, staining her clothes as well? Those thoughts haunted her- she wanted to forget them but the guilt in her heart was still there. She cried hard at the same time yelling Cagalli's name over and over again.

Luna and Meyrin entered her room and saw her in that state. Fllay faced them with teary eyes and a sad face. They never saw that side of Fllay before. She was always the arrogant and flirty girl but now it was like meeting a different person. They approached her- as sisters they felt concern for Fllay. Luna pulled her in a tight but warm embrace while Meyrin gently rubbed her back. They were comforting her.

"There... there... Fllay," Luna spoke, "Stop crying okay it'll ruin your beauty."

"But sis... I... almost" Fllay paused.

Fllay wanted to tell them but she was afraid of how they might react. She has already been the worse sister ever so telling them about Cagalli will just make things worse. But she needed to- it was the only way to relieve her pain a little. Keeping it inside will only hurt her more. She faced Meyrin and Luna with a calm expression- a face that said that she was ready to go for it.

"I accidentally pushed Cagalli Yula Athha down the stairs," Fllay started, "And now she ended up in the hospital."

"What!" Mey and Luna shouted.

"You heard me. I almost killed Cagalli but I really didn't mean it." Fllay told them.

"I can't believe you, Fllay. Coming from you I can't say that you did it unintentionally." Meyrin said.

"But I swear it's the truth," Fllay defended, "I didn't expect that to happen."

Tears started crawling from her eyes. True tears of lament and guilt flowed which finally convinced her two sisters. Luna placed a hand on her shoulder and glanced deeply into her eyes.

"We believe you." Luna simply said. "So how's this Athha girl now?"

"You said that she's in the hospital right now." Meyrin added.

"Yes... But I didn't bring her there it was a boy from school." Fllay replied.

"In any case you should go to the hospital to see if she's okay." Meyrin told her.

"Are you crazy? I'm sure Kira and Zala are going to kill me if I show my face." Fllay said.

"But you have to," told Luna, "If you're really sorry about what you've done then you should go see her."

Fllay really didn't want to go. She was scared of Zala and especially Kira... Cagalli is a very important person to them and she just hurt her. She realized that she's in big trouble.

_Hospital_

Kai and Lacus were waiting for Kira to come out from the emergency room- telling them it was all going to be okay for Cagalli. Kai walked back and forth as if he was a husband expecting for a baby. Lacus seated herself on a chair with head down and eyes locked on the floor. She hoped and prayed that her best friend will be fine.

Suddenly someone gave her a light tap on the shoulder. She glanced to see who that was. She smiled as she saw Athrun.

He was soaking wet. His hair was all mess up and he looked like that he could collapse any minute.

"What happen to you? Don't you have a car?" Lacus asked.

"It's a long story," Athrun replied, "So where's Cagalli? Is she fine?"

"I'm sorry man we don't know yet." Kai answered.

Athrun was a bit surprise to see Kai.

"What are you doing here?" Athrun asked.

"Well for you information, I brought Cagalli here." Kai replied.

He took a glimpse on his shirt stained with blood. As much as he doesn't want to admit it he was actually grateful to Kai for bringing Cagalli to the hospital. Yet the dilemma doesn't end there. Cagalli was still in the emergency room, still being treated by the medical crew.

"I hope she's going to be fine," said Athrun.

"Don't worry Kira's donating blood to her so she'll be fine." Lacus said.

"I am totally going to thank Kira for that."

"Well he is her brother... He looks out for her."

Athrun started to fell the coldness. He realized that he was still in wet clothes. He cursed the rain for bad timing.

**Flashback**

Athrun took off from his mansion and drove into the streets. His destination was the hospital. His thoughts focused mainly on Cagalli- thinking about her condition made him worried so much. He noticed the grey clouds covering the clear sky. "DAMN, it's going to rain!" He mumbled. Yes, he was right, soon it started pouring hard.

"This couldn't get any worse."

Okay the worse part came... his car ran out of gas. He got so pissed that he almost broke the glass. He got off his car. His whole body started to shiver in the freezing coldness of the humidity. But that didn't stop him; he started running... still Cagalli was in his thoughts.

"Please be all right Cagalli."

He turned at one corner. A speeding car passed by causing the water to splash at him. He was totally wet but he kept on going. He was determined.

When he sighted the hospital, a small smile came to his face. He wanted to shout out "I FINALLY MADE IT!" He entered- all people were staring at him. His current appearance wasn't at all pleasing. He just ignored the stares. Cagalli was more vital.

**End**

At last the doctor came out and so did Kira. They both had smiles on their faces. Athrun, Kai, and Lacus approached them.

"So how did it go?" Kai asked.

"It went well." Kira replied.

"Ms. Cagalli is going to be fine," said the doctor, "Thanks to Mr. Kira here."

The doctor rubbed his head like he was a little boy. He went back in to double check on her.

Lacus hugged Kira with all her might- thanking him at the same time. She was so relief... Her best friend was okay!

"So when can we see her?" Athrun asked Kira.

"Well you can see her now but first dry yourself before you lay your hands on my sister." Kira told Athrun.

"How about me, Kira Can I now..." Kai spoke.

"That goes for you too Kai." Kira said.

Lacus giggled at this. Kira was actually acting all protective. Of course his sister is currently unconscious in bed with a bandage on her head... he couldn't just let two guys who looked like a couple of drunkards go see her.

"Okay I'm going home right now to change," said Kai. "Luckily my house is just near here."

"Be back soon okay." Lacus told him.

"I will!" He replied.

"How about you Athrun?" Kira asked.

Athrun couldn't just leave after what he's been through in the rain just to get to the hospital. He wanted to see Cagalli badly. He pleaded Kira to let him see her. Kira smiled and nodded his head, then he handed him a bag.

"What's in the bag?" asked Athrun.

"It's a change of clothes," replied Kira, "I packed my things before I left home since I'm going to stay with her here."

"Kira..."

"Don't worry I have lots of clothes in that bag so just picked one out and go change before you catch a cold."

"Thanks Kira."

**To be continued...**

* * *

JC: That's chapter 15... Next chapter will be updated by next week or so... Please review and no flaming.

_Fllay tries to apologize to Cagalli but Kira and Athrun wouldn't let her even come close to Cagalli (Someone is actually going to help Fllay) - not her sisters_

_Lacus performs representing Minerva High School_


	16. Amnesty

JC: Finally I finished writing this chapter. I can't believe it's already in Chapter 16. I really planned to make this only up to chapter 12 but well... Something came up. I hope you enjoy reading this and please review after. About Cagalli's head injury, well it's like this... When she fell down the stairs she hit her head first, thus leading it to severe blood loss (I've read a book about this kind of incident)

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed

_Fllay tried to apologize to Cagalli but Athrun and Kira wouldn't let her. _

_Heart breaking moments for Kai..._

_Shinn and Stellar's date_

* * *

**High School Life**

Phase 16: Amnesty

It was already night time but Fllay Alster couldn't sleep. The scene of her pushing Cagalli down the stairs kept rolling over and over in her head. A heavy guilt in her heart brought pain and tears to her. Of all the horrible things she had done, this was the worst of all... She tried convincing herself that it was all an accident- of course she wanted to push her but not down the stairs. Her emotions got carried away.

"I really didn't mean it," Fllay thought, "I wonder how she's doing right now... I hope she's okay."

OMG! For the first time ever she's hearing herself worry about another person. The self-centered and spoiled personality of Fllay seemed to fade away. Never, ever in her life has she felt so much regret. She called out Cagalli's name several times as if she could her apologizing.

Luna said that she should go to the hospital and begged for mercy but she knew that Kira and Athrun would murder her. She was so lost. Who could help her, she didn't know... But suddenly one person came into her mind.

"That's it... I should ask her." Fllay said. "I'm sure she could help me."

_Hospital, Next day _

She was regaining consciousness. She shrugged a bit to her side and felt like she hit something. She slowly opened her eyes to find Athrun with his head buried in his arms. She let out a faint smile as she brushed through his navy blue hair.

Athrun felt this and woke up. He smiled at the sight of his blonde girlfriend. He touched her hand and gently lifted it up. He positioned it on his chest near his heart. Cagalli could feel his warm heart beating with joy. She wanted to get up and hugged him but as she tried to move her head would hurt.

"Don't get up yet... You just have to stay still." Athrun told her.

She quietly nodded. She glanced around the room. She noticed that her parents were sleeping on the couch. They seemed to be tired. She shifted her glance at Kira and Lacus. Apparently Kira was seated on the chair while Lacus' head was on his lap. They looked sweet in that position- she couldn't help but giggle a bit. But she noticed another person on her other side of the bed. It was none other than Kai.

She burst into tears. She realized that she made all of them worried. She realized that all of them cared for her so much.

Athrun placed a hand on her cheek- trying to cheer her up he kissed her on the forehead which made her blush. At the same time Kai managed to see this... There was that pain again in his heart. But nevertheless he was happy to see Cagalli okay, smiling again.

"Cagalli...," Kai spoke, "I'm glad you're fine now."

Cagalli turned her head at Kai. She patted his shoulder and smiled.

"I'm sorry for the trouble I caused." Cagalli said.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Kai asked.

"I know you were the one who brought me here."

"How did you know?"

"When you were carrying me to the hospital, I've regained consciousness momentarily and I saw you."

"I just needed to do what I have to do."

"Thank you Kai. You're a real friend."

Friend? That was all she could regard him... They were only friends and that's it. He realized that he's no match for Athrun. He could never win her heart... There was something about Athrun that made her fall in love with him. Kai accepted this from that time he carried her to the hospital, he could hear her uttering Athrun's name. It hurt him but it was all right. Just as long as Cagalli was happy then he has no complaints.

Now he viewed Cagalli and Athrun, holding each other's hand, exchanging deep stares and smiles... "They're a good couple." He thought. A tear suddenly fell from his eye- not wanting Cagalli to see this he quickly stood and left the room. He stood outside the halls as he stared at the ceiling.

"This is okay I guess. She's happy with him." Kai said.

_Back to Athrun and Cagalli..._

Cagalli tried to rise up from the bed but Athrun quickly grabbed her by the shoulders and set her back in place.

"You can't get up yet Cagalli." Athrun told her.

"I feel like I'm such a weakling right now," said Cagalli, "How could I even let this happen to me?"

"It's not your fault. Fllay Alster is to blame." Athrun reminded.

"Fllay...," Cagalli murmured, "I can't say I blame her though."

"But she's the one who pushed you and..." Athrun said.

He got cut off by Cagalli who suddenly placed a finger on his lips. She looked at him straight into his green eyes. The way she looked was so sincere that it made Athrun calmed down.

"I know what she did to me but it's no reason for you to get all upset about." Cagalli said.

"But..."

"Let's just be happy that I'm fine and talking to you right now."

Athrun let out a smile. He knew that she was right. He should be happy because Cagalli was okay. He temporarily erased Fllay from his mind. He stood from his chair. He leaned down at Cagalli and lightly kissed her cheek.

"Athrun!" She gasped.

"You're blushing like crazy again." Athrun teased.

"What! Uh... well.. I..."

He brushed away some strands of hair that were in the way of her golden brown eyes. Slowly his face neared hers, he was about to kiss her until...

"Athrun!"

He got startled that he suddenly tripped and fell on his butt. He gazed upwards to see Kira standing right in front of him with a serious expression on his face.

"Hey Kira... Good morning." Athrun weakly said.

"What the hell were you doing to my sister?" Kira sternly asked.

"Nothing I was just..."

"You were trying to kiss her."

"Well I was but..."

Athrun was panicking- he didn't know what to say or what to do. He kept looking sideways as if he would find an answer if doing so. He scratched the back of his head as he stood. He glanced back at Kira, still looking angrily. That face really intimidated him- he never saw Kira like this before.

Kira, on the other hand, started to laugh at his best friend. Of all the years they've been together, he never once saw Athrun panicked like a little boy. He was always the calm and reserve type of guy. He patted Athrun's shoulder and continued giggling. Athrun was like "Huh?"... Kira apologized for making him react that way. He would never have thought that it would turn out that way.

The brother turned at his sister. He placed his hand on top of her head.

"Are you okay?" Kira asked.

"Yeah I'm fine Kira and," Cagalli replied, "Don't scare Athrun anymore."

"I can't promise you that." Kira said.

The siblings laughed.

"Kira is a pretty good brother don't you agree, Athrun?" Lacus spoke.

Athrun nodded, "That's right... but I have to say that Kira is protective."

_Dominion High_

Shinn entered his room with a big smile on his face. He was in a pretty good mood today. He spotted Kai seated near the window, staring blankly outside. He decided to surprise attack Kai. He quietly approached him. He was about to scare him until Kai spoke.

"Don't even think about it Shinn." Kai said.

His plan backfired. Kai knew that he was coming but how in the world did he knew that? Kai always managed to scare him so why can't he for once... He deeply sighed.

"So what's up Kai?" Shinn started.

"Nothing but the ceiling." Kai replied.

"What's wrong with Kai?" asked Shinn, "Normally you would tell me about yourself or about Cagalli..."

"Shut up Shinn!" Kai demanded.

That was a first for Shinn- Kai was actually telling him to shut up. Usually he was the one who would always say that but now it was Kai. He realized from that point that something was definitely up with Kai.

"You can tell me your problem Kai," said Shinn, "I'm your friend."

"I don't feel like it." Kai answered.

"Please Kai... I want to help you. I can't stand seeing you like this." Shinn said.

That's where it hit him... Shinn was worried about him and there he goes trying to ignore Shinn. Even though Shinn always chased him around, trying to murder him for teasing him- he was still, nevertheless, his best friend. Kai turned to him and smiled.

"I'm sorry," spoke Kai, "All right I'll tell you."

After hearing the whole story, Shinn suddenly felt sorry for Kai. He tried to comfort Kai in anyway possible. Kai thanked him for his kindness. Shinn was indeed a real friend.

_Minerva High_

The bell just rang signaling the end of class. Athrun felt anxious to visit Cagalli again in the hospital. He packed up his bag and ran towards the door. Suddenly Kira managed to grab him by the shirt.

"Hold it Athrun!" Kira said.

"What is it Kira?" Athrun asked.

Kira grabbed his bag and pulled out a book. He handed it to Athrun.

"Give this to Cagalli... She asked me to borrow this from the library." Kira said.

"Is this for the book report?" Athrun asked.

"Yeah," answered Kira, "Even though she's in the hospital she still worries about school."

"Okay. I'll give this to her." Athrun assured.

Without a second thought, Athrun hurried out.

Kira walked towards Lacus who was busy reading lyrics of a song. She was going to sing next week so she's been practicing hard. Kira always went to her practices. He enjoyed hearing her sing since her voice is so angelic. He was pretty excited for the singing competition himself.

"Let's go Lacus." Kira said. "It's almost time for practice."

"You're right." Lacus replied.

When Lacus and Kira exited the classroom they spotted Fllay leaning on the wall. It seemed that she was waiting for them. Fllay approached them the moment she saw them. Kira furiously glared at her which scared her a bit.

"What do you want!" Kira asked.

"If it's okay with you, Can I go see Cagalli?" Fllay said.

"What! After what you did to her! No way! I won't let you." Kira yelled.

His hands clenched and his eyes filled with rage. Fllay took a few steps backward. She realized that she picked a bad time to approach him. Kira was seriously mad at her. But she has to see Cagalli- she has to apologize to her... It's only right so Fllay didn't run off instead she stood firmly. She turned to Kira with seriously in her eyes.

"Please Kira I beg you let me see your sister." Fllay begged.

"Why you!"

Kira was about to hit her- fortunately Lacus grabbed his hand. Kira turned to Lacus, telling her at the same time to let go but she held his hand tightly.

"Lacus!"

"No Kira!" said Lacus, "You mustn't! Fllay really means it."

"What! But you know we can't trust her."

"But Kira..."

"No! I don't want to give this girl chances."

He glared back at Fllay. He suddenly grabbed her by the collar and slammed her against the wall. Lacus tried her best to pull Kira back but he was too strong for her.

"Kira please stop it!" Lacus told him.

Kira wouldn't listen... He let his rage blinded him. He could tolerate her abusiveness towards Lacus but almost killing her only sister- no way! Kira was starting to choke her. Fllay had difficulty in breathing that she began to cough. Tears rolled down from her eyes... as she pleaded for mercy but no words reached his head.

"Please Kira! You're going to kill her." Lacus said.

At that time, Jean was walking through the halls while reading a book. She heard Lacus' voice calling out Kira's name. Curious about this, she followed the sound which led her to the scene.

"Y-yamato! What are you doing to Alster?" Jean shouted.

"Jean, please stop Kira..." Lacus told her.

She quickly went over and pushed Kira away from Fllay. Fllay immediately fell to her knees as she tried to regain her breathe. Kira wanted to pounce on Fllay again but this time Jean held him back with the help of Lacus. Kira demanded them to let him go. Lacus quickly grabbed Fllay and pulled her away from him. She brought her outside the school. Lacus sighed in relief as she leaned against the gate. Fllay stared at Lacus blankly. In her mind right now, she wondered why Lacus helped her after all the mean things she has done. Anyway Fllay raised her hand...

"Thank you Clyne." Fllay awkwardly said.

Lacus shook hands with her and smiled.

"You're welcome." Lacus replied.

"But why did you help me?"

"Because I knew that you were really sorry about what happen... Kira failed to see that."

"Huh? How did you know?"

"I can see it in your eyes."

Fllay was astonished... She couldn't believe that Lacus was actually nice to her. She was even talking politely and now she even trusted her. That's very unbelievable... She now realized what Lacus got that she doesn't- Lacus got kindness. Lacus' kindness was the reason that made her like by everybody unlike Fllay. Sure she's also popular but mostly she treated everyone as an annoyance or a foe. She finally admitted that Lacus is a better person compared to her. She gazed into Lacus' clear blue eyes that were full of sincerity... she couldn't help but cry.

"Fllay..." Lacus spoke.

"I'm so sorry Clyne for everything," Fllay said, "Please forgive me."

Lacus pulled Fllay into a warm hug. She cried even more on her shoulder. Lacus gently rubbed her back to soothe and comfort the pain she held.

"Don't worry its okay... I forgive you." Lacus said.

"Thank you Clyne." Fllay replied.

_Dominion High_

Stellar was waiting for Shinn near the gate. She was standing there for half an hour already. She was getting a little impatient- Shinn should know that he shouldn't keep a girl waiting. Grown tired of it, Stellar started to walk away until Shinn called to her.

"Stellar! Wait!" Shinn shouted.

"What took you so long?" Stellar asked.

"Sorry... Something just came up." Shinn scratched his head.

"Okay I forgive you." Stellar smiled.

She suddenly kissed Shinn on the cheeks. He held his cheek and smiled at her. His face slowly turned red but he doesn't mind it anymore since Stellar was now officially his girlfriend. He lifted her right hand and kissed it- like treating Stellar like a princess. Stellar buried her face on his chest. Her hands made their way around his waist, placing him in a warm but loving embrace. Shinn returned the favor by hugging her back.

"I'm happy to fell in love with you Stellar." Shinn said.

"I love you so much Shinn." Stellar said.

Rey and Kai watched the couple from a certain distance but hidden from sight- say up a tree... Okay Rey really didn't want to spy on them but Kai dragged him again as usual. But nevertheless he was quite interested in Stellar and Shinn. Kai on the other hand, felt a little envious. He was heartbroken while Shinn has Stellar. He deeply sighed.

"Shinn is one lucky guy." Kai said.

"You're just saying that because you didn't get Cagalli to love you." Rey spoke coldly.

"Ouch!" yelled Kai, "That hurts... You could be a little nicer Rey like say yeah you're right Kai, Shinn is lucky to have Stellar or something like that."

"What can I say? It's the truth right." Rey asked.

"Yeah," replied Kai, "But Cagalli is happy with Athrun and I'm fine with that."

"That's one of the qualities I like about you Kai. You're very understanding." Rey said.

"I got it from my mother I think..." Kai told him.

The both laughed out loud that Shinn managed to hear them. He raised his eyebrow as he viewed the tree near the school gate. He listened to the laughing sounds and they sounded so familiar to him. He marched towards the tree and looked up. There he saw Kai and Rey smiling and laughing.

"What are you two doing there?" Shinn asked.

"Hey Shinn... Well nothing unusual just spyi..." Kai said. "Uh... Forget what I just said."

"Spying again! I'm going to kill you Kai." Shinn threaten.

He started climbing up the tree but Kai immediately jumped off and landed safely on the ground. Shinn chased him around the school but he didn't manage to catch him. Kai was quick and he was always the good hider. Shinn gave up looking for him as it was just a waste of time. He went back to Stellar. He grabbed her hand and pulled her away without even saying good bye to Rey. Stellar reminded him to do so but he ignored her. For Rey well it didn't really bother him since he was so used to Shinn... He got down from the tree and went over to Stellar.

"There they go again." Rey said.

"They're such good friends." Stellar giggled.

"By the way how did you're date go with Shinn?" asked Rey, "He never told me about it."

"It's like this..." Stellar started.

**Flashback **

Stellar was running late for her date since her alarm clock was set on the wrong time. She dashed through the streets as if someone was after her. Finally she reached her destination, the central park. She spotted Shinn standing near the water fountain looking at the clock. She called out to him.

He turned to her the second he heard her voice. He waved his hand at her. With all her might, Stellar pounced on Shinn which cause them to fell on the hard concrete. Stellar was fine but it was painful for Shinn's part. However he didn't even notice the pain because Stellar was currently on top of him with arms around his neck. His faced glowed bright red. Stellar faced him with a smile and greeted.

"Hi Shinn! I'm so sorry that I'm late. Were you waiting that long?" Stellar said.

"Um... Hi! And that's okay and no." Shinn replied.

"That's good to here," and then Stellar finally noticed her position, "Oh... I must be heavy."

She quickly got off of him. She held out his hand, offering him some assistance. Shinn grabbed her hand and he was pulled up. Stellar bowed her head and apologized to him but Shinn assured her that it was all right- "no harm done," he says... but his back was screaming with agony.

"So Shinn how do I look?" Stellar asked.

Shinn took a glimpse at the dress she was wearing. It was a blue/white dress with spaghetti straps. She also wore white sandals that matched with the dress. Other than that she looked so sexy.

"You look great." Shinn told her.

"Thank you," said Stellar, "So where do you wanna go first?"

"Let's go eat first then we'll watch a movie." Shinn suggested.

"Okay... Take me wherever you go Shinn." Stellar said.

They first went to a restaurant near the ocean. Shinn picked the best spot which is the table near the window where one can see the ocean view. Stellar opened the window and felt the cool breeze passing through her face. She just loves the ocean so much. Shinn stared at her as if he was in some sort of trance. He looked at her with those red eyes... His eyes seemed so calm and sincere whenever he's with Stellar. He was having a great time just admiring Stellar's cuteness until the waiter came and asked for their orders. Shinn turned to him and glared angrily. His once calmed eyes turned into furious ones again.

"What... um... are... your orders...?" the waiter nervously asked.

"I'll have one order of spaghetti and one orange juice." Stellar said.

The waiter wrote down her orders on the paper. Now he turned to Shinn... He could still see Shinn glaring at him. He wanted to walk away from him but he was still a customer so he asked him again about his orders.

"I'll have one Burger and a soda. Make it quick!" Shinn demanded.

"Yes sir!" The waiter hurried to the kitchen like a frightened little girl.

"Shinn you scared him." Stellar said.

"No I was not." Shinn told her.

After eating the two headed straight to the movie theatre. They, of course, watched a romantic movie (I can't think of any right now). Stellar quite enjoyed it but for Shinn it was just plain boring. Romantic movie was really not his thing but for Stellar he'll do anything to please her.

It was time to bring Stellar home. Shinn promised Stellar's big brother that she would be home by 5 PM. He was quite the strict and overprotective brother. Shinn was actually afraid of that guy so he had no choice. As they neared the house, he gently grabbed Stellar's shoulder- Stellar turned to look at him. Her magenta eyes were now locked on his red eyes. Shinn had the face that informed her that he was going to say something... He took a deep breathe. He had hoped that he won't screw up.

"Stellar, from the day I've met you, you really struck me..." started Shinn, "I don't know why but whenever I look at you, a warm and fuzzy feeling grows inside me. I was confused by my feelings before but as days passed by I came to know what I felt. My feelings for you, Stellar, are deep and passionate..."

"Meaning..." Stellar said.

"All I want to say is that I love you. I love you with all my heart Stellar Loussier." Shinn finally admitted.

Stellar immediately hugged him.

"Stellar?"

"I'm happy to hear that," said Stellar, "I love you too Shinn Asuka."

A wide grin appeared on his face. The feelings of overwhelming happiness grew in his heart. He screamed for joy- he even lifted Stellar up and twirled around. He was so relief to know that Stellar loves him.

"You're making me dizzy Shinn." Stellar said.

"Sorry about that." Shinn placed her down.

They faced each other- intensely staring at each other's eyes. Shinn pulled her closer to him. Slowly he leaned his head forward and reached down for the kiss. His lips touched hers. It was a warm and passionate kiss... Soon they broke for her but without taking sight off of each other. Stellar stroke his hair away from his eyes so she can view them clearly. Her arms crawled around his waist as she leaned her forehead on his chest. Stellar could hear his heart pound so loudly like a drum. It was a perfect moment for the two of them.

**END**

"And that's the whole story..." Stellar told Rey.

"Shinn is loyal (I can't say the same for him in Destiny)... you don't have to worry about him chasing another girl." Rey said

"I can see that." Stellar replied.

_Hospital_

Mr. and Mrs. Athha went out for a while so they assigned Athrun to watch over Cagalli. Athrun took the pleasure in doing so.

Athrun and Cagalli were currently doing their homework in Science and Math. As usual the blonde girl was having a difficult time solving some of the equations but luckily Athrun was there to help her. He was very good in Math and she understands more from him than her teacher at school.

"You got that, right?" Athrun asked.

"Yeah it's clearer to me now." Cagalli replied.

Someone knocked on the door. "Come in," said Athrun. The door opened and two persons came in. One was Kira and the other one was Jean Corda. Cagalli waved her hand slightly at her. Jean was so happy to see Cagalli fine and well- that she quickly hugged her tightly.

"You're okay!" said Jean, "I'm so glad."

"Um... Jean you're crashing me..." Cagalli said.

Jean instantly released Cagalli.

"I'm so sorry." Jean told her.

"That's okay... You just got carried away." Cagalli replied.

Cagalli turned to Kira to greet him but she noticed by the look on his face that he was in a pretty bad mood. She asked Jean "What's wrong with him?" in a whisper.

"He had an encounter with Fllay," told Jean, "He got mad that he wanted to kill her."

"I see." Cagalli said.

Cagalli remembered the scene again of her falling down the stairs. She could clearly see in her mind that Fllay pushed her but she also noticed that it was an accident. Fllay really didn't mind the stairs behind her so she has no reason to get mad or anything. Cagalli tried telling Kira that but he wouldn't listen. He would always say that "She almost killed you and you're feeling sorry for her! No way!" nothing can seem to change his mind about this. What she doesn't know too that Athrun also felt the same way... He too couldn't forgive Fllay.

Athrun suddenly remembered that he still has to encode his report. He excused himself but he also promised Cagalli that he'll be back later. With that, he exited the room in a hurry... As he walked outside, he spotted a familiar red head girl that goes by the name of Fllay Alster.

"Where do you think you're going?" Athrun said as he stood in front of her.

"I'm going to see Cagalli." Fllay answered. "I want to apologize to her."

"You're not going anywhere near Cagalli!"

"Please Zala! Let me see her."

"No! Now get out of my sight."

He pushed Fllay out of the way and walked passed her. Fllay dropped to her knees and cried. Never in her life has she been treated this way especially by a guy. All she ever wanted was to say sorry but Athrun and Kira wouldn't let her. She was so afraid, so lost... But she remembered what Lacus told her, "First you must decide, then you must follow through, it's the only way to achieve something." Fllay decided not to give up. She was determined to try again but this time she thought of a plan.

_Minerva High (Music Room)_

_In this Quiet Night,_

_I'm waiting for you_

_Forgetting the past_

_And dreaming of you_

_Time passes by_

_And memories fade_

_But time can't erase_

_The love that we made_

_And the Stars in the sky_

_That I wish upon _

_Could bring you back to my side_

_Though you're not here with me_

_I dream of the day we'll meet again_

The song, Quiet Night was being played on the piano. Lacus was singing it. The other musicians listened to her lovely voice. After the song, they all applauded and complimented Lacus. It was another great performance. It was going to be a sure win in the competition.

"I'm sure there are other great singers there." Lacus said.

"But they're not as good as you Miss Lacus." One musician said.

Lacus' thoughts were not on the singing competition but on Fllay. She wondered if Fllay managed to pull it through. She hoped that Kira and Athrun didn't do anything to her.

**To be continued...**

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JC: Chapter 16 has ended... Please be patient for the next chapter. I need reviews and no flames! Okay I know that Fllay is suddenly acting all nice here but please bear with me... 


	17. Realizations

JC: Thanks for the reviews. I made a really big change in Fllay's attitude in the previous chapter and I know it's not her thing. Seriously I don't like her much either. Will Fllay get the chance to apologize to Cagalli? Find out in this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed.

_Kai's feelings uncovered... _

_Fun Day at the beach..._

_Fllay will not be in this chapter_

_

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_

**High School Life**

Phase 17: Realizations

Finally, after three days locked up in the hospital, Cagalli finally got out of that place. She was so bored just lying down on bed- feeling so weak and useless. It was a beautiful Sunday morning so Cagalli decided to hold a picnic at the beach together with her friends. While waiting for the van to arrive, Cagalli waited by the gate in front of her house. She looked around to see if anything is coming but nothing. She crossed her arms and groaned in complaint. She wasn't use to waiting for something that long. She was standing there for half an hour already. Her patience was running out.

"Where are they?" She asked herself.

"Good Morning Cagalli!" a familiar voice called the blonde. Cagalli turned around to see who it was. She saw that it was Jean.

"Hi Jean, so are you all set?"

"Yeah!" said Jean, "I'm quite excited about this."

"Me too," added Cagalli, "Problem is that Lacus and the others haven't arrived yet..."

Suddenly they heard a vehicle approaching. Jean and Cagalli turned their attention to it. It was them- it was about time they arrive. The van pulled over in front of them. The door opened and Lacus came out to greet them.

"Good morning you two," started Lacus, "Were you waiting long?"

"Gee, what do you think?" Cagalli said.

"I'm sorry for the delay," replied Lacus, "We had to pick up someone."

"Who?" Jean questioned her.

"Hello there Jean and Cagalli..."

Cagalli could recognize that voice anywhere. She peeped inside the car. First she saw Kira in the driver's seat, and Athrun was seated behind him. Of course she gave him a nice greeting- but her attention got caught up with the person seated next to her boyfriend.

"Kai?"

"That's my name..." Kai said.

"I didn't know you were coming too." Cagalli told him.

"Well actually Lacus invited me..." Kai replied.

"That' great!" said Cagalli, "We're going to have so much fun at the beach."

Seeing Cagalli happily talking to Kai made Athrun a little bit jealous. He knew how Kai felt about Cagalli. He narrowed his eyes at him. Jean seemed to have noticed his reaction so...

"Um... why don't we all go in now?" Jean suggested. "We still have a long trip."

"You're right..." replied Cagalli, "I'm going to sit right next to Athrun"

While boarding the van, the blonde managed to trip herself causing her to fall on Athrun. She found herself in an awkward position- on top of him. Upon realizing it, both of them blushed like crazy but giggled after a while.

"Um... Cagalli... please get off of Athrun right now before I do something reckless." Kira warned.

"Sure no problem." Cagalli replied.

She quickly took her seat. She turned to Athrun and smiled. She placed her hand on top of his and deliberately leaned her head on his shoulder.

Kai took notice of this. The smile on his face was replaced by a frown. Sure, he already accepted the fact that he was only a friend to Cagalli but seeing her being so close to Athrun still troubles him.

"I still love Cagalli up to this point but what can I do to erase my love for her." Kai thought.

Without further due, Kira started the car and took off.

_Beach_

The group arrived at their destination. Cagalli and Athrun were the first to get off the van. Cagalli was so excited to see the beach again. She just loves it. The sea breeze and cool water always made her feel more relaxed. She removed her sandals and ran her feet through the water. She was like a little girl enjoying her time without any care in the world.

"Cagalli!" called Kira, "We still have some things to set!"

"Okay!" replied Cagalli.

Kai let out a deep sighed as he leaned on the van. He was really not himself today. Normally he would be telling jokes or leading a conversation but he didn't even have the mood to do so. He knew that it was because of Cagalli. Suddenly a hand reached for his shoulder- it was light and very warm. He turned to the owner of the hand which was Jean. She looked at him with a calm expression on her face. Her emerald green eyes were full of sincerity. With a smile, she told him to be glad- that he should be enjoying that day. Kai found it to be impossible but Jean assured him that he could if he tried. He turned to her and smiled. He nodded his head telling her that he was going to be fine.

"Thank you Jean." Kai said.

"No problem." Jean replied.

Lacus spread out the beach blanket on the sand while Cagalli placed the things on it. Athrun set up the umbrella and Kira readied his video cam. Kira started filming his pink haired girl who has yet to notice it.

"Lacus," called Kira, "smile for the camera."

And she did so... She has such a sweet smile, one of the qualities that Kira liked about her. She had the smile that could make you feel so calm and relaxed. Lacus waved a bit at the cam then she pointed a finger at Cagalli and Athrun who were having a moment. Kira decided to capture them- he sneaked up behind them which startled them.

"Kira!" yelled Cagalli who was now blushing, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I was just filming you guys." Kira said. "Is that bad?"

"Not when we were about to ki...Oh never mind!" Cagalli exclaimed.

Suddenly Lacus placed a hand on Cagalli's shoulder. The blonde turned to her pink-haired friend.

"We better go and change now Cagalli." Lacus told.

"You're right." Cagalli replied.

Cagalli and Lacus picked up their bags containing their bathing attire. Before heading to the changing room, Cagalli pulled Jean away from Kai since she needed to change as well. After a while, they came out wearing their bathing suits. They really caught the attention of the boys which nearly made them drool. Kira quickly turned his cam on and filmed them.

"Do we look okay to you guys?" Jean asked.

The boys all nodded in unison- without even saying anything. It seemed that they were still surprised on how sexy the girls were.

_Shinn's house_

Mayu was trying to study for a test but she couldn't concentrate since Shinn's music was so damn loud! Sure she could take him being annoying and overprotective all the time but she reached her limits. It was going too far. She stomped towards Shinn's door and banged madly. She even kicked the door several time to get her brother's attention. No luck! He still wouldn't open the door.

"Brother! Open the stinking door or you're going to get it this time!" Mayu shouted.

She was thinking of burning the door down until she heard the doorbell. Somebody was at the door but who could it be? She remembered her parents saying that they were going to be late. She went down the stairs and answered the door.

"Good Morning Mayu!" greeted Stellar.

The little Asuka smiled widely. She pulled Stellar right in. Without any hesitation she dragged Stellar up the stairs and brought her to Shinn's door. Stellar blinked several times- confused of Mayu's actions.

"What am I suppose to do here?" Stellar asked.

"Please tell my brother to tone down the music." Mayu replied. "I'm trying to study for a test tomorrow."

"Is that all? Okay I'll do it." Stellar said.

Stellar knocked on the door and called out Shinn's name. After 5 seconds, the door opened... Mayu was so shocked. Stellar didn't even knock loudly and yet Shinn heard it while she did all sort of things. She so wanted to kill Shinn at that very moment but since the volume was lessen she went back to her room.

Shinn blushed in front of Stellar. He stood in an awkward position while scratching his head. Stellar took his hand and placed it on her face. She closed her eyes as she felt the warmness of his hand. Shinn turned even redder this time. If Mayu seen him like this then she'll probably want to tape it and sell the video off to her classmates. Thankfully, she was in her room. He brought his attention back to Stellar. He let out a big smile. He slowly pulled Stellar into his embrace. After a while they broke from each other's arms- and faced each other...

"So Stellar," started Shinn, "What brings you here?"

"I just wanted to see you," replied Stellar, "besides I was getting bored at home, plus I don't have to go work today."

"I see then let's go out for a while." Shinn suggested.

"That will be great." Stellar said. "Let's go to the park! I love it there."

"Okay." Shinn replied.

Before leaving the house, Shinn told Mayu that he will be going out with Stellar. Surprisingly Mayu seemed happy since she had the house all to herself. She even pushed Shinn and Stellar out of the house- in a gently way of course.

"Well you guys have fun!" Mayu said and then she slammed the door.

Shinn and Stellar looked at each other confusingly. They blinked several times and then they giggled a bit. Stellar kind off admires Mayu- she's even a little jealous of Shinn since he had a little sister while she doesn't even have siblings of her own. She wished she had one. Shinn thought of the opposite thing... He felt so unlucky to be a big brother but he has to admit that it has some advantages. Mayu wasn't really a menace, actually she's actually sweet and nice that's why Shinn is sometimes protective of her but sometimes she's so annoying! No matter what the reason or excuse was, Stellar still thinks it's nice to have a sibling.

Stellar started pulling Shinn's arm like a little girl who wanted to go to the amusement park. Stellar held onto his arms hugging it like a teddy bear. Shinn turned red again as he noticed that his arm was near her chest. He could feel a lump in his throat. He wanted to remove his arm but Stellar seemed to be comfortable with it. They walked towards the park cheerfully.

_Beach_

Lacus, Cagalli, Jean, and Athrun and Kai were all playing beach volley ball. It was girls vs. boys, two against three. So far the girls were leading... The boys were having a hard time because Cagalli was good at the sport but they were not about to give up. Kai asked Kira to join them so it will be a fair play but Kira just wanted to film them.

"You can do it guys!" Kira cheered.

"Easy for you to say, you're not the one who is playing here." Athrun and Kai said in unison.

"Come on guys show us what you got!" Cagalli said.

It was Athrun's turn to serve. He positioned himself in one spot. He grabbed the ball and tossed it high and then he struck the ball. The ball flew over to the other side. Lacus managed to hit and the ball went to Jean. Jean pushed the ball upwards. Cagalli jumped high and spiked! In an instant, the ball went over to the other side and hit the sand hard. Lacus and Jean cheered happily for Cagalli because they won! Kai and Athrun deeply sighed- they just lost to girls.

"Wow!" gasped Kira, "I can't believe you..."

"Zip it Yamato! It was just a game." Kai said.

"Then why do you sound like you want to cry." Kira teased.

"No I do not!" Kai shouted.

"Stop it you two and let's eat!" Cagalli said.

"Okay!" Kai replied.

Lacus spread the food all over the beach blanket. There were fruits, cake, sandwiches, rice balls, doughnuts and hotdogs, and they were all prepared by the pink princess herself. Kira was stuffing his mouth with the rice balls. It was really delicious.

"This is really good Lacus. You're really a good cook!" Kira complimented.

"I'm glad you like it." Lacus said.

"Lacus used to make me Lunch when we we're still in Middle School." Cagalli told. "I always look forward to it."

"Really... Then can you make me lunch next time?" Kira asked.

Lacus simply nodded her head. Of course she would, anything to please Kira... He immediately grabbed her hands. He grinned widely- thanking her at the same time.

Cagalli moved closer to Athrun. She pulled him closer so she could whisper into his ear.

"Kira is acting a bit weird." Cagalli said.

Athrun glanced over at his best friend. Cagalli was right in saying weird but he knew why Kira was like that.

"It's because he's just happy that's all. He's happy to be with Lacus." Athrun told her.

"I see." Cagalli replied.

Jean was silently eating her hotdog while staring at the sea. It was a beautiful sight. She admired the sea. Unexpectedly, Kai sat down beside her.

"Amazing isn't it?" Kai asked.

"Huh?" said Jean, "Um... yeah the sea is really amazing."

"Jean, can you come with me over there?" Kai asked as he pointed at the cliff.

"Sure let's go." Jean replied.

Kai smiled. He grasped Jean's hand and pulled her upwards to help her stand up. Jean's emerald green eyes met his blue ones... Suddenly an uncertain feeling rose in her heart. Her cheeks turned red as he stared at him more. When she snapped back into reality, she immediately turned away from him.

"What's the matter Jean?" Kai asked her.

"It's nothing!" lied Jean, "Come on let's go!"

Jean dragged him without even looking at him. She bowed her head so she Kai couldn't see her blush. Now the question remained in her head, "Do I like him?"... She could feel her heart pounding madly. Uneasiness overwhelmed her emotions, she just didn't know why. Every time she took one short glance at Kai her face would just flare up. What was happening to her? Even though she won't admit it, she was attracted to Kai. She was very silent around him- never said a word from their walk to the Cliffside. It was beginning to annoy Kai since he hated silence so he started blabbering about his school, friends, but as he continued on his conversation led to Cagalli. When he uttered her name, he quickly shut up... He really didn't mean to bring her up. Kai has yet to erase Cagalli completely in his heart.

"Kai?" Jean broke the silence.

He turned his head at her and smiled frankly. His blue eyes neared to tears that were full of sadness, pain and sorrow. He tried to hold it back. He couldn't let a girl like Jean see him cry.

"Kai, is everything ok?" Jean asked.

"I... I'm fine..." Kai replied in a pitch sound.

No, he wasn't all right. He was in pain. Jean could see that all. She never realized how Kai loved Cagalli. He loved her totally that's why he's so broken-hearted. Feeling concern, Jean placed a hand on his shoulder. Kai faced her and saw her calm face and emerald green eyes. Bad time... her eyes just reminded him of Athrun, the man that Cagalli loved... Tears started flowing down for the fact he couldn't contain it no longer. It was excruciating. But Jean wanted to help him, to cheer him up again, and to bring him back to his old self again. So she pulled him closer to her. She wrapped him in his arms. Kai's eyes widened in surprise- he didn't quite anticipated that.

"Jean... you..." Kai mumbled.

"Let it all out Kai," said Jean, "it will make you feel better. So cry as much as you want."

Their eyes met again. Jean sincerely looked at him with a smile and a calm expression. Her green eyes were full of compassion. She brushed through his brown hair and enjoyed playing some strands. It made Kai even more miserable. There she was trying to cheer him up and he couldn't even say anything. She was being so kind to him. He could feel a warm vibe coming from her. All of the sudden, he hugged her so tightly. Now Jean was the surprised one but it was understandable.

"You're so emotional... I can't believe you can cry like this..." Jean whispered in his ear.

"I... I'm sorry... and..." murmured Kai, "thank you..."

"No problem," replied Jean, "I'm glad that I was able to help."

Jean felt rather happy to be hugged by Kai like that. She came to fully realize that she has feelings for him- a deep and sincere feeling of love.

Cagalli was running away from Athrun who was trying his best to catch her. As expected from a trained runner, Cagalli wasn't an easy catch. She ran towards the water. Athrun followed her closely. He was about to reach her until she suddenly dive into the water. Cagalli emerged from behind him and quickly went to shore. Athrun sighed because he failed again. Athrun started walking back but he tripped on a stone and fell. SPLASH! Cagalli laughed out loud at him. The way he fell it was hilarious. But when she was at it, Athrun took the chance to surprise attack her. When he neared her, he quickly pulled her towards him but both of them lose their balance, thus, falling into the shallow part of the water. Cagalli was now on top of Athrun with both hands on his chest. They stared each other for a while as their cheeks turned red.

"You're the cutest girl I've ever seen," complimented Athrun.

"Eh? Well I..." Cagalli murmured.

"I love you so much."

"Athrun..."

Athrun seated himself while placing his arms around Cagalli's waist. Pulling her closer, his lips slowly met hers.

Kira and Lacus managed to see this. Kira felt happy but he seemed to have a little jealousy part. It kind of pissed him off.

"I want to go over there and pull Cagalli away." Kira sarcastically said.

"Kira, don't you dare do that," told Lacus, "they're having a very sweet moment."

"I know it's just that whenever I see Cagalli with Athrun, I feel..."

Before he could say anything, his lips got sealed by Lacus' kiss. Kira slowly closed his eyes. He deepened the kiss even more. They enjoyed every second of it.

**To be continued...**

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JC: I'm glad I was able to finish this. I'm having hard time to find the right words to use. Tell me what you think so review... and I don't want FLAMES!

_Fllay will apologized to Cagalli in the next chapter_


	18. Just another Day

JC: Chapter 18 up! Thank you for the reviews! What's in store here? Read and find out and after that please don't forget to review.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed.

_Will Fllay finally have the chance to apologize?_

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**High School Life**

Phase 18: Just another day

Cagalli was busy studying for the Mid-term exam tomorrow. She has just finished Science and now she's off to Math. As expected she's having a hard time as usual and it was driving her crazy.

"I hate MATH!" screamed Cagalli.

Her voice was so loud that it even reached outside. At that time Athrun was standing in front of her house. He giggled a bit. He could tell that Cagalli was having trouble. He walked up to the door and knocked. Soon Mrs. Athha opened the door and greeted Athrun. He greeted her properly and went in. He climbed up the stairs and brought himself to Cagalli's door. He slowly turned the door knob and entered. When he saw the room, it was a mess! Papers were all over the floor, the bed was filled with notebooks and textbooks, and the bed side table was tipped over. It felt like a tornado came to the room. He directed his sight at the blonde who was busy studying at her desk. It seemed like that Cagalli has yet to notice that he was there. Cagalli was really losing her patience. She was steaming up because she couldn't answer some equations. She kept mumbling to herself and scratching her head in frustration. Suddenly a pair of hands covered her eyes- it startled her.

"Hey! Get you hands off of me!" Cagalli demanded.

"Guess who?" Athrun said playfully.

By the sound of his voice, Cagalli knew right away who it was... That calm and warm voice could only belong to one person. She smiled. She quickly stood and turned around. In an instant she pounced on Athrun, bringing him to the floor.

"Athrun, I'm so glad you're here!" Cagalli told him.

"Yeah me too," said Athrun, "Could you get off of me now?"

Realizing their current position, Cagalli blushed furiously and removed herself on top oh him. She apologized for her sudden outburst. Athrun laughed lightly. He placed his hand on top of her head. Cagalli turned at him and smiled.

"You're having trouble in MATH again huh?" Athrun asked.

Cagalli simply nodded her head, "Can you help me?"

Athrun smiled mischievously, "under one condition..." Athrun placed his finger on her lips. "You have to kiss me first."

She grabbed his hand and removed it from her lips. She leaned forward and kissed him sweetly. After a while they parted and stared at each other.

"Are you satisfied now?" Cagalli asked.

"Yeah, I am." Athrun replied.

_Dominion High_

Shinn was walking to his room until Kai grabbed him and gave rubbed his head. By time he was released, his black hair was totally messed up. He glared at Kai with those fierce red eyes. But Kai just laughed out. He was prepared to run away but Shinn seemed to have no intention of chasing him this time. Instead Shinn just stared at him confusingly.

"What's the matter with you Shinn?" Kai asked.

"You look so happy now," replied Shinn, "That's good."

"Well I'm over with my crush with Cagalli. I know she will never learn to love me." Kai said. "Besides I'm in love with someone else now."

"Eh? Who is the girl? Is it somebody I know?" Shinn questioned.

"It's a secret." Kai said.

Shinn immediately gave him a headlock. He seriously want to know who his best friend was falling for now. But Kai wouldn't spill the beans so Shinn tightened his grip around his neck.

"I... can't breathe..." Kai murmured.

"Tell me!" Shinn demanded.

"It's Jean... Jean Corda!" Kai admitted.

Kai was released. He gasped for air. Shinn was going to murder him if he didn't talk. Sheesh, a guy can't a secret now can't he? But Shinn had the right to know since he was after all his best friend so be it. Shinn patted him hard on the back which made Kai coughed.

"Stop that Shinn!" Kai told him.

"Sorry," said Shinn, "I just can't believe it. You're in love with Jean. She looks like a nice girl."

"Are you kidding me? She's totally kind and sweet!" Kai added.

Shinn felt relief that Kai was back to his old but annoying self again. Kai glanced at his watch and realized that it was almost time for class.

"Let's go now Shinn or we'll be late. We still have a test." Kai said.

Kai started walking away and Shinn followed afterwards.

_Minerva High_

Cagalli stretched out her hands up high and sighed in relief. The Mid-terms exams were finally over. She swore that the tests were going to make her head pop! English was a piece of cake, Science was easy to deal with and surprisingly she didn't have a hard time in Math. She had Athrun to thank. If it wasn't for him, then she could've failed. She glanced momentarily at Athrun who was busying himself by scribbling something on his notebook. Unknown to her, he was writing Cagalli's name all over the page.

The blonde approached her boyfriend. First she thanked him for tutoring her and then she invited him to eat ice cream with her, of course her treat. Athrun immediately agreed. He packed up this stuff into his bag. He stood and gently took Cagalli hand. He lifted it up and placed a light kiss on it. Cagalli blushed suddenly in the process. He brought her hand close to his heart as he gazed upon her golden brown orbs. Cagalli stood in silence yet she felt amazed on how romantic and sweet Athrun could be. He's the almost-perfect guy and Cagalli felt so lucky to love him.

Suddenly, Cagalli just remembered the ice cream shop, "Oh shoot! I was supposed to treat you! Come one let's go!", so she instantly pulled Athrun and took off.

Kira sighed seeing the two left, "It was getting interesting," said Kira.

"Those two are so sweet," added Lacus who seated herself beside Kira. "They're just perfect for each other."

Kira glanced at his pink haired girlfriend, "You know we're perfect for each other too."

Lacus nodded her head in agreement, "Of course we are."

Room 1-B

It was already 5 PM. Jean was still in her classroom, cleaning since it was her turn to do it. She felt kind of bored being there all alone with no one to talk to. She wished that she could be joining Cagalli and the others right now but it was her responsibility to clean so be it. When she was done mopping the floors, she grabbed the rag and started cleaning the windows. She took notice of the students from below. Some of them were chatting, some were playing and some were even dating. The couple caught her attention the most. She pictured herself back at the beach with Kai. Where she held him in his arms to comfort him in his time of sadness... Kai plagued her mind from that day forward. She admired him oh so much. Sure, he could be annoying sometimes but he's really a very nice and kind-hearted guy. His personality is mostly likable. Jean wanted to see him again, to see if he's all right now but mostly she just wants to be near him.

"Kai... I... love you..." Jean muttered.

Suddenly the door slid wide open. Jean got startled a bit but she didn't scream. She slowly turned to the door and saw a familiar figure. She thought it was Fllay at first but as she walked closer she recognized it to be Meyrin.

The Fllay look alike let out a warm and friend smile, "Hi Jean!" greeted Meyrin.

"Miss Meyrin, what are you doing here?" Jean asked.

Okay the word _Miss _bothered the pigtailed girl. She put on a pissed face and glared at Jean. "Just call me Meyrin okay? We're just the same age and you're not lower than me."

Jean nodded, "I'm sorry it's just that I'm use to calling people like that to show respect."

"Meyrin sounds fine to me okay and don't try to call me by my last name either." Mey added.

"Yes, I got it!" Jean replied. "So what brings you here?"

Meyrin seated herself on top of the teacher's table. She glanced around the room. She noticed that it was so clean. Jean really did a good job. She turned back at Jean. She crossed her arms and said, "I just wanted to see you." Jean was a bit surprised at this. Meyrin wanted to see her for what reason? Jean looked puzzled. Meyrin let out a small laugh, "I never did get the chance to say this before but can you be friend?" Jean's jaw dropped. She heard it right. Meyrin wanted to be friends with her but aren't they already friends? Jean blinked several times. She started turning her head, looking sideways, up and down- okay beginning to feel dizzy here. Meyrin laughed some more. She got off the table and walked towards Jean. She placed a hand on her shoulder and showed a kind expression on her face. "What I really meant was to be more than friends... as in best of friends." Meyrin told her hoping that Jean would comply. Jean could see the sincerity in Meyrin's eyes so with a grin, she nodded her head. Meyrin jumped for joy like a little girl who got a new doll.

Still, Jean wondered why this all of a sudden? Meyrin just told her that she could see Jean as a very kind person. She could feel a good aura surrounding the green-eyed girl. Meyrin had a knack for making friends with people whom she was comfortable with and Jean was one of them.

_Music Room_

_In this quiet night,_

_I'm waiting for you_

_Forgetting the past, _

_And dreaming of you_

_Time passes by,_

_And memories fade_

_But time can't erase_

_The love that we made_

_The stars in the sky_

_That I wish upon_

_To bring you _

_Back to my side_

_Though you're not here with me_

_I dream of the day_

_We'll meet again_

_Hold me close..._

_So deep in your heart _

_I will find you_

_No matter... _

"Your voice is always so angelic..."

Lacus stopped singing the minute she heard a familiar voice that came from the doorway. She turned to see Fllay Alster leaned on the wall with arms crossed in front of her. A smile was on her face and her eyes were locked on the pink princess. Lacus stood from her seat and approached the red headed girl. With a kind smile she greeted Fllay, "Hi Fllay so what are you doing here?"

Fllay let out a deep sigh. She seemed troubled. She turned away from Lacus' clear blue eyes. She set her eyes on the floor. As expected she didn't feel comfortable making eye contact with the songstress. Lacus was like the angel and she's not worthy to even stand there in the presence of such innocence. Suddenly, Lacus grabbed her hands and lifted it up. Fllay was surprised at this. Her eyes once again met Lacus' blue eyes. Lacus looked at her with sincerity. She smiled at her. Her smile was just enough to melt her heart.

"Lacus, I really hope my plans go well." Fllay said. "I don't want only to apologize to Cagalli but to Kira and Athrun too."

"That's not like you," started Lacus, "the Fllay I know has lots of confidence. Where did all you self-esteem go?"

Fllay stared at Lacus for a moment. She had to admit that Lacus was right. Fllay Alster was the girl who never doubted herself. She always believes in what she can do. Her face turned calm as a smile crept up... "Thanks Lacus..." said Fllay.

"You should be going now." Lacus said.

"Right and thanks so much," Fllay said who just ran out the door.

_Ice Cream Shop_

Cagalli giggled as she tasted her favorite Ice Cream. Sweets were always her weakness but she wondered how she retained her figure. She took another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. "Hmmm... It's so delicious," said Cagalli.

Athrun felt relaxed watching the blonde at her cheerful state. He noticed a speck of ice cream on her cheek. He slowly leaned forward and licked it from her face (It's like he kissed). Cagalli's face instantly turned bright red. She touched her cheek and backed away a little from Athrun that in the process she fell from her seat. She almost hit the floor- luckily he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back up. Cagalli sighed in relief. She turned to her blue-haired boyfriend and thanked him. Athrun ran his hand through her blonde locks with his emerald eyes locked onto her golden orbs. Cagalli could feel the loud beat of her heart. Athrun's face was so close to her. Slowly, Athrun pressed his lips against hers. Cagalli again felt his warmness. His aura was so soothing. From the way he kissed was heaven in her midst. Athrun also felt the same way as her.

Stellar watched them from a certain distance. They reminded her of Shinn and herself. "They're so sweet. Oh... I wish Shinn was here. But wait he may not like this sappy stuff. He may end up teasing them," Stellar thought silently.

_Park_

After the ice cream shop, Athrun and Cagalli went to the park. They sat on a bench under a tree. It was already 6 PM so it was quite dark already. The air was cool and the scent of the fresh cut grass was so calming.

Athrun placed his arm around Cagalli pulling her closer to him. She leaned her head on his shoulder. Her eyes felt heavy. She yawned a little, "I'm feeling a little sleepy."

"You did sleep late last night while studying for the test." Athrun said.

"It had to be done for the sake of passing." Cagalli said sarcastically.

"I see," Athrun replied, "You're always so carefree, cheerful, and outgoing. That's what I like about you Cagalli."

"Lacus used to tell me that," Added Cagalli.

"I'm sure Lacus told you that she loves you." Athrun said.

"Of course," replied Cagalli, "but when you say it, it comes out differently."

Athrun placed a kiss her forehead which cause her to open her eyes widely in surprise. He glanced at the blonde so intensely. "Athrun?" his name came out of her mouth. Athrun yet again pulled her into a deep hug. "I love you so much," said Athrun. They parted until they met each other's eyes. Cagalli smiled, "I love you too."

"You two seemed to be enjoying too much..." Kira said who just popped out of nowhere to intrude their moment. Cagalli quickly stood and stared at her twin in rage. She clenched a fist which intimidated the brunette boy a little. He raised his arms in surrender so he could calm the blonde down. "Just don't hit me okay," told Kira.

"Don't tell me you followed us here, Kira?" Athrun asked his best friend.

"No, I just happened to pass by." Kira replied.

"Where's Lacus?" Cagalli questioned who noticed that her best friend wasn't there.

"Gone home already," answered Kira, "why don't you two do the same?"

"What? Is Kira feeling a little jealous?" Cagalli said while poking his chest.

"No it's not like that," countered Kira, "it's getting late and you should be home now, sis!"

"Don't tell me what to do, bro and besides I'm older than you." Cagalli defended.

"But it seems like Kira is the older one." Athrun said.

"Why are you siding with him?" Cagalli angrily asked.

"No I'm not. It's just a hunch." Athrun said.

Okay, now the three of them were arguing but they ended up laughing. But their smiles disappeared when they say Fllay approaching them. Kira and Athrun went in front of Cagalli, as if protecting her from the red head girl. The boys glared at Fllay. "What do you want Alster!" asked Athrun. Fllay stopped at a certain distance from them for she was afraid that if she would get closer Athrun and Kira might kill her. She tried to avoid their stares but whenever she tried to look at Cagalli she could see a pair of purple and emerald green eyes glaring.

Fllay had to apologize. It was now or never. She faced them with full confidence and eagerness. "I want to apologize," said Fllay. Kira and Athrun just laughed at that remark. "You are apologizing? We're not going to believe you!" yelled Kira. The boy she once loves was seriously angry at her. She can't blame him for not trusting her words. But Fllay wasn't taken back at this- even though they could just kill her at that spot, she has to make them listen to what she will say.

"Go away Alster and I mean it," demanded Athrun who just showed his fist at her.

"No!" said Fllay, "I won't go until you guys listen to me!

"Do I have to fo..." muttered Kira who got cut off by Cagalli, "No Kira," She then glanced towards Athrun. "You too Athrun, we have to give her a chance to speak out," said Cagalli with a calm expression on her face. She walked towards Fllay and told, "Go ahead, my ears are listening." Fllay smiled at the blonde. She briskly nodded her head and unexpectedly she kneeled down before Cagalli. The blonde was quite surprised at this, even Kira and Athrun too.

"Fllay?" asked Cagalli. "What are you doing?"

"I'm so sorry Athha!" started Fllay as tears appeared in her eyes. "I really didn't mean to push you. I got carried away. I felt so guilty from that day on. I couldn't even sleep or eat properly because you haunted my mind every single day. I want to release the guilt in my heart so I'm begging for your forgiveness!" Fllay burst out with tears. She buried her face in her hands as she sobbed. "I'm sorry," continued Fllay, "I'm really am sorry."

For the first time in her life Cagalli has never seen this side of Fllay before. The red head girl that she hates more than anyone was crying and saying sorry. That really took guts and Fllay had many. Cagalli felt really sorry. She sighed deeply. She bent down to her level and placed both hands on her shoulder's. Fllay slowly removed her hands from her face. Her eyes met Cagalli's golden brown ones. She could see the sincerity and kindness Cagalli had in her eyes. It was similar to Lacus but it felt differently.

"Athha?" asked Fllay who was still crying. "I can see that you really meant it. Seeing you like this, it's just like your not being yourself. This isn't really the Fllay I knew who was bossy, rude, and selfish." Cagalli told her. Fllay turned her sights to the ground. More tears came out and stained her pink dress that she was wearing. She narrowed her eyes as she hugged herself. "So will you forgive me?" asked Fllay with a bit of hesitation. Cagalli patted her shoulder and said, "Yeah I will, so stop crying and go back to your normal self." Fllay turned to Cagalli as her tear stained eyes widened in surprise- Cagalli forgave her so a smile came to her face. Overjoyed by this, she hugged the blonde without even thinking. "Thanks so much!" yelled Fllay. "Uh... No problem," replied Cagalli.

"Wait," said Kira, "hold it right there." The two girls face Kira who was seriously glaring at Fllay. "You just forgave her and that's it! I mean Fllay almost killed you Cagalli. Doesn't that concern you one bit!" Kira told his blonde twin.

Cagalli stood and approached her brother. "I know that but she said that she was sorry. It's just a matter of forgive and forget." She explained.

"But Cagalli," stated Athrun, "What if she's just acting?"

"No she's not! I can see it in her eyes that she's telling the truth." Cagalli said.

Athrun and Kira looked at each other then back at Fllay. "Okay, since my sister has forgiven you then I should forgive you as well," told Kira who just crossed his arms. "It's fine with me too," added Athrun.

Fllay rose from the ground in an instant. She clasped her hands and smiled. "Thank you very much Kira and Zala! I'm so glad." Fllay said. She pulled something from her pocket. It was tickets to an Onsen bath. She handed three of them to Cagalli. The three stared curiously at the tickets that Cagalli was now holding in her palm.

"In case you're wondering, I'm offering you free tickets to the Alster Onsen bath. I also gave one to Lacus as well. Consider it as a gift to all of you." Fllay explained.

"What!" the boys shouted all of a sudden.

"You're giving this," said Cagalli, "to us for free?"

"Of course," replied Fllay, "I have to make it up to you guys for all the mean things that I've done."

"Are you serious about this?" asked Athrun who still couldn't believe it.

Fllay nodded her head at them. "Let's see Kira and Lacus, and Cagalli and Athrun- all right this is a double date! I'll make sure that it goes perfectly!" Fllay raised her hand in the air. "Don't worry the staff there will take good care of you... I just need to tell them to make your day a memorable one." Fllay giggled a bit.

"Hold up! You're not going to be with us?" asked Cagalli who was feeling a little anxious. "Nope, I have some better things to do than just be in your way! Like I said this is a form of a double date so there!"

Fllay started running off but she stopped momentarily to wave goodbye. "Later guys!" she said and she took off.

"Wow!" said Cagalli, "that happened so fast."

"I agree with you." Kira added.

"Same here but about the onsen, I think it's going to be great for the four of us to be together." Athrun said.

"You're right! I'm pretty excited as well." Cagalli said.

**To be continued...**

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JC: Fllay apologizing nicely- I know she's totally out of character here but bear with me. She's going back to her old self in the next chapter but she's not up to her dirty tricks again. Anyway I want reviews and I don't need Flames.

_A day in the onsen bath... What will happen there?_

_Kai and Jean moments next chapter._


	19. Hot Spring Bath

JC: Chapter 19 is up so I hope you guys enjoy reading this. Thank you for the reviews. By the way High School life is only up to chapter 20 so we're near an end here after this, another fic entitles Love Fulfilled so watch out!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed.

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**High School Life**

Phase 19: Hot Spring Bath

Cagalli called Lacus to tell her about the Fllay and the tickets to an Onsen Bath. She was pretty excited about this but what surprises her more was Fllay who suddenly turned kind. It was big change for that snob girl.

"I think we'll have a great time!" Cagalli said.

"I'm sure of it." Lacus replied.

_Minerva High_

Cagalli was hurrying off to class since she arrived late at school. She was carrying loads of books. She was having a hard time carrying them.

"I sweat I hate books for life!" murmured Cagalli who almost tripped. "I am so damn late! I'm going to get scolded."

She ran up the stairs and as soon as she reached the desired floor, she bumped into someone. She almost fell down the stairs again if it weren't a pair of hands grabbing her waist. She sighed in relief. She didn't want to go to a hospital again that's for sure.

"That was a close call... Hey thanks for the..." said Cagalli who just glanced at her savior. "Athrun!" she yelled.

Athrun pulled her closer to him. "You almost fell down again. I told you to be careful." He kissed her on the forehead, making the blonde blushed furiously.

"Athrun," Cagalli said softly, "Thanks..."

"You guys are already late and here you are making off..." a brown haired guy with purple eyes suddenly appeared from behind them.

"Kira!" exclaimed Cagalli.

Kira just witnessed their sweet moment. His eyes narrowed as he glared at the couple.

"What is it?" asked Cagalli.

He sighed, "Well... do you guys have to act so romantic every time?" Kira sounded pissed.

"Is it a crime?" Athrun teased.

"No it's just that... Oh never mine!" said Kira. Actually he always felt jealous seeing his sister acting sweet all over his best friend but that can't be help since they're a couple and they love each other so much. It's just the brother instinct- Kira convinced himself with that.

"You're weird Kira." Cagalli suddenly told him.

Kira turned to her and smiled mischievously. "Well I'm your twin and if you say I'm weird then you're weird as well." He laughed at loud.

Cagalli clenched her fist. "Why you!" yelled Cagalli who almost grabbed Kira by the collar when Athrun stopped her.

"Stop it now," told Athrun, "You guys are going to cause trouble here and we don't want to get scolded by the teachers now."

Cagalli calmed down. She turned to Athrun and smiled, "Okay then let's go to class now." She glanced back at her brother. "You to Kira..."

"What's that look for?" asked Kira, trying to annoy his sister again.

"Drop it Kira. We're already late." Cagalli reminded.

In an instant the three of them dashed towards their classrooms. For their tardiness, they got scolded by the teacher so they had cleaning duty to do after class.

_Dominion High_

Kai was at the computer lab, wherein he was writing an email for Jean. Actually it was kind of a love letter- meaning his love for the green-eyed girl has grown intensely. He couldn't pick the right words to say so he had Stellar by his side to help him.

"Is this okay?" Kai asked Stellar.

"Yeah," she replied, "I think you should put more feelings into it."

"Okay..." Kai said.

When it comes to jokes, Kai is the master but when it comes to love then he's at total lost. Sure he knew what to do when he was still crushing on Cagalli but for Jean he felt really special.

"I wish Jean would like this." Kai thought silently as he continued typing.

"By the way Kai, how about you ask Jean on a date?" Stellar suggested, "That would be a great way to get close to her."

Kai nodded in agreement. "Great idea, Stellar... But where should I take her?" He wanted to bring Jean to somewhere nice and relaxing. The mall is just plain boring and the arcade too so he thought of bringing her to the Onsen.

"The Onsen sounds really nice," said Stellar, "so go for it."

"Thanks." Kai replied.

Stellar checked the clock and realized that it was about to struck 10. It was almost time for their next class.

"We have to get going now." Stellar told him.

When Stellar was about to reach for the door, it suddenly opened widely. Stellar blinked twice before noticing that Shinn was standing in front of her.

"You startled me Shinn." She said while placing a light kiss on his cheek.

"Hehe... Sorry," he replied, and then he gazed towards his blue-eyed friend. "Hey Kai let's go now!"

"Okay!" Kai answered.

He looked back at the screen. He moved the mouse and clicked on send. He smiled at the thought of what Jean's reaction might be if she read the email. He hoped that Jean would understand his feelings for her.

_Onsen _

The gang stood before the Onsen House- it was quite huge. A woman with honey-brown hair wearing a traditional Japanese kimono stepped out to greet them. She bowed her head as she introduced herself.

"I am Miriallia Hawe," she said, "I will be your hostess."

The girl faced them with a kind and friendly smile. Kira couldn't help to think how cute she was. What struck him most that Miriallia seemed familiar to him... Miriallia noticed Kira staring straight at her. It was kind of annoying so she deliberately invited them in.

"Please step inside..." Miriallia told them.

The blue-green eyed girl led them to their rooms. First of all, she showed Lacus and Cagalli's room. It was spacious and the view from the balcony was just so nice and to think that they have Fllay Alster to thank for. Miriallia left the girls to enjoy their rooms while she showed the boys their room which was located right next to the girl's room. Only a sliding door divided the room, so any of them could easily go into each other's room. Miriallia bowed politely and excused herself from the room. Kira suddenly dropped himself on the chair as he sighed.

"What's the matter Kira?" Athrun asked his best friend.

"Miriallia Hawe..." muttered Kira, "Doesn't that sound familiar to you?"

"It does but I can't recall." Athrun replied.

"I see... that girl..." Kira thought.

Miriallia went inside a private room that belonged to Fllay Alster. The red head girl was calmly enjoying the view of the clear blue sky until Miriallia interrupted.

"Fllay," Miriallia said, "They're all here."

The Alster girl made a wide grin. "Make sure everything goes perfect okay?"

Miriallia nodded, "Of course."

She exited the room. She made her way to the garden where she sat on a rock near a small pond. Her thoughts were on the brown haired boy with purple eyes. From the time she set her eyes on him, she couldn't stop thinking about him.

"Why?" she asked herself, "Why does he look familiar to me? Do I know him?"

_Changing room, Onsen _

Cagalli and Lacus undressed themselves for the hot spring bath. Cagalli immediately wrapped a towel around her. She glanced at her friend who was still tying her long pink hair. Cagalli crossed her arms and told Lacus to hurry up for she was anxious.

"I'm almost done." Lacus said.

When Lacus finished they entered the hot spring area. The place was warm. Cagalli took off her towel and dipped herself into the water.

"It feels so good!" yelled Cagalli.

'I can hear you from here Cagalli!" Kira suddenly shouted from the other side.

The boys were at the other side of the tall fence which divided the girl's and boy's side.

"Kira?" said Cagalli, "Is Athrun there?"

"I'm right here." Athrun replied.

Cagalli blushed at the mere sound of his voice. Lacus noticed her red cheeks but instead of teasing her, she just splashed the blonde with water. She giggled a bit while Cagalli struggled to get away.

"Stop it Lacus!" Cagalli demanded.

"No way... This is fun." Lacus said.

For a moment, there was silence... All of them closed their eyes as they felt the soothing effect of the hot bath. Lacus started humming a tune, then she started singing one of her favorite songs which was Mizu No, the song was just perfect. As she listened to her voice, Cagalli opened her eyes and smiled at her best friend. Kira and Athrun also heard this but stayed quiet as Lacus continued on.

_Front desk_

Four new customers arrived which were Shinn, Stellar, Kai and Jean. They all decided to spend a relaxing time in the Onsen too. Not knowing that their friends were also there so there are in for a surprise. Kai and Shinn approached the front desk, and called the attention of the manager which was Miriallia. When the honey brown-haired girl turned around, she properly greeted them. "Good Evening, what can I do for you?" she asked them.

Meanwhile Jean and Stellar were admiring the wonderful view of the moon. It was a full moon tonight. "It's such a nice night." Jean said. Stellar nodded her head in agreement. Jean took a quick glance at Kai who was busy talking to Milly. Her eyes soften as her cheeks started glowing red. Stellar took notice of that that which she actually giggled.

"You really like him..." Stellar told her.

Jean turned to Stellar. She blushed even more. "Yeah, I do..." Jean muttered.

When everything was set, Miriallia was ready to show them their rooms. "Please follow me..." Milly told them. As they passed by a certain room, Jean noticed that it was open. Being curious, she peeked inside and saw Fllay Alster who was sitting by the window. She seemed happy and relaxed. Jean approached the red head girl.

"Hi!" said Jean.

Fllay got surprised when she saw Jean standing before her that she almost fell but luckily Jean managed to pull her back in. Fllay sighed in relief. She glared at Jean for startling her like that. Jean put on a puppy dog face as she apologized to Fllay. It was quite funny that Fllay couldn't help but laugh. Jean started laughing as well. As they settled down, Jean decided to go back to Kai and the others. Before she could leave, Fllay grabbed her hand.

"Wait!" told Fllay, "I need a favor from you."

"Favor?" asked Jean, "What is it?"

"Zala, Kira, Cagalli, and Lacus are here," said Fllay.

"They're all here! That's great so where are they?" Jean asked.

"Taking a bath, what else? But that's not it..." replied Fllay, "Please don't tell them that I'm here."

"Huh? Why? Don't tell me you're planning something again." Jean glared at Fllay with suspicion.

"No!" Fllay shook her head. "It's not like that. I actually invited them here and I want to make this a perfect day for them."

"I don't see any reason why should you hide from them." Jean shrugged.

Fllay pulled Jean a little closer. She whispered something to Jean which left her in a state of shock. Fllay assured her that it was going to be fine. She wasn't planning anything bad. All she wanted was to make those couple happy that's why she's asking Jean to help her. Jean didn't know why but she decided to help her, realizing that it seemed fun. Fllay thanked Jean by rapidly shaking her hands.

_Rooms_

The girls were happily eating their food that was greatly prepared for them. All of their favorite foods were there. Cagalli was stuffing herself with all the desserts. She really had a weakness when it comes to sweets. She was eating so fast that she almost choked. Lacus warned her not to eat fast but she just wouldn't listen. Cagalli chuckled as she scratched her head.

"Cagalli, please do be careful." Lacus said.

"Okay, okay," replied Cagalli.

Later, Kira and Athrun entered their room. They seated themselves beside their girl friends. Lacus grabbed a plate of food and started feeding Kira. Kira felt kind of awkward but he didn't hesitate to open his mouth. Cagalli couldn't resist teasing her twin brother. Kira blushed madly. Suddenly, Athrun yanked her out of the room. Cagalli screamed all the way which was beginning to annoy Athrun so to stop her mouth, he kissed her. Cagalli was a bit surprise but she slowly closed her eyes.

Meanwhile, Kira and Lacus were having a moment of their own. Lacus was resting peacefully in Kira's arms while singing 'Quiet Night'. Kira gently placed a kiss on her cheek as he whispered in her ear, "I love you..." Lacus smiled. She glanced at her loving boy friend. Her crystal blue eyes stared deeply in his purple ones. She could feel her heart screaming his name. She buried her face in his chest as her arms made its way around his waist. Kira could feel his face burning up but he didn't mind. He ran his hand through her face, then her soft pink hair which carried the scent of a sweet fragrance. Kira drew her face a little closer until his lips met hers. A warm feeling encircled around them, their emotion of love overflowed in their heart and nothing could ever separate them from their precious moment.

Cagalli was about to shout as she saw this but Athrun covered her mouth. He pulled her away from the room. She demanded to release her but he didn't seem to listen. She was being stubborn again. She tried to break free from his grip until something unexpected happen. Athrun accidentally groped her breast, which caused her to blush as bright as a red Christmas bulb. He quickly released her, at the same time saying sorry for what he did. Cagalli glared heatedly at him. Athrun raised his hand in a form of surrender as continued apologizing to her.

"I can't believe you!" Cagalli yelled.

"Please," said Athrun, "forgive me... I didn't mean to."

"You shouldn't have pulled me away from the room." Cagalli told him. "I wasn't going to interrupt them."

"It's my bad so I'm sorry." Athrun persisted.

Cagalli laughed a bit at his puppy dog expression. She couldn't resist such a cute face like that.

"Okay, but don't ever do that again." She said.

"I won't." Athrun winked at her.

Jean was heading towards the bath with Stellar until she spotted Athrun and Cagalli. Both of them approached the pair and greeted them.

"Hi Cagalli!" said Jean, "Hi Athrun!"

"Jean, Stellar, what are you guys doing here?" Cagalli asked.

"We're here to enjoy the bath." Stellar replied.

"If Stellar is here then I'm guessing that Shinn is here as well." Athrun said.

"Of course!" replied Stellar, "Kai is here too."

Athrun narrowed his eyes at the sound of that name. He still doubts Kai's feelings for Cagalli. He can't help feeling jealous whenever he sees his girl friend so close to Kai. But for the blonde, she was quite happy to hear about Kai.

"Where are they?" Cagalli asked.

"I think they're at the bath." Jean said, "We're heading there as well. Want to join us?"

"I think I'll pass." Athrun answered.

"Me too..." Cagalli added.

"Okay then," said Stellar, "See you later."

Jean and Stellar bid good night to the pair and walked away. Cagalli and Athrun headed back to their rooms. As they got there, Cagalli noticed that her room was locked, not only that the lights were off.

"Aren't Lacus and Kira still in here?" Cagalli asked Athrun.

Before Athrun answered her, he went to check his room to see if Kira was there. Unfortunately, he wasn't there so he could presume that he's with Lacus.

"What!" yelled Cagalli, "You've got to be kidding me! You mean to tell me that my best friend and my brother are sleeping together at this very moment?"

Athrun simply nodded his head. Although he found it to be disturbing, he felt envious. Kira was together with his girlfriend! Of course he wanted to be with Cagalli the whole night too. Okay, now he was thinking mischievously so he slapped himself on the face for that. Cagalli stared at him curiously. Athrun chuckled as he scratched his head. She was getting weird vibes from him but she ignored it because something important is still up.

"I know that Lacus and Kira love each so much but is this really okay..." Cagalli thought.

"Cagalli, you shouldn't worry too much. Kira knows what he's doing." Athrun said.

"I'm sure he's having so much fun with my best friend right now." Cagalli sounded pissed. Thinking about it makes her a little giggly but annoyed for some reason. Now the question is where the hell will she sleep! She glanced at Athrun with a blushing face. She rapidly shook her head. What was she thinking! She couldn't possibly sleep with Athrun.

"All right I'm going to break this up right now..." said Cagalli, "I have nowhere to sleep if Kira's going to in here for the whole night."

Cagalli was about to bang the door until Athrun stopped her.

"You can sleep in my room." Athrun suggested.

Cagalli turned red as she turned away from him. Athrun sighed. He knew that Cagalli didn't like the idea of sleeping with a boy but she has no other choice. Athrun tried to persuade her but she still said no so he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his room.

"Athrun!" shouted Cagalli.

"Look, I'm not going to let you sleep outside just because Kira is alone with Lacus in your room." Athrun explained.

"But..."

"I'm not going to do anything to you so you don't have to worry."

By the way he talked, he sounded hurt... Cagalli didn't trust him so now she felt guilty. She wrapped her arms around his waist as she leaned her head on him. A small smile crawled up to his face, with a quick turn he embraced the blonde so lovingly. They parted to gaze at each other's eyes. Both of them had burning passion within them that can't be contain anymore. Athrun leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. Furthermore, Cagalli deepened the kiss even more. As Cagalli placed her hands on his chest, she could feel the loud pounding of his heart that was overflowing with love. They broke for air yet their eyes were locked onto each other. Athrun brushed away a strand of hair from her golden brown eyes. Her eyes were full of sincerity and love that Athrun had always admired. He felt being in the presence of a goddess.

"I love you so much, Cagalli." Athrun told her.

"I love you too," replied Cagalli.

Athrun couldn't control himself anymore. His hand slowly made its way to her neck. Gradually, he removed the robe that covered her body. Athrun blushed but he didn't hesitate to give her another kiss.

_Garden_

Jean was strolling around the garden, at the same time admiring the view of the starry sky and the full moon. It was definitely a perfect night. Suddenly, she spotted a falling star... She heard that if you wish upon a falling star, your wish would come true. So she closed her eyes and thought of her wish.

"I wish for Kai's happiness." Jean muttered.

Unexpectedly, somebody sneaked up from behind her which made Jean shrieked. She got so frightened that she unintentionally hit the guy.

"Ouch!" the guy said, "That hurts real badly."

"Huh?" Jean took a good look at the suspicious guy. "Kai!"

"You were expecting Akira Ishida?" Kai said.

"I'm so sorry about that." Jean told him.

"That's okay... It was my fault for surprising you like that." Kai said.

Kai immediately pulled her into a hug. Jean's face flushed up in an instant. Kai was actually hugging her. She could feel her heart pounding so loudly. The minute he faced her, Jean was astounded on how clear his crystal blue eyes were. She could just melt in his arms as she gazed at him some more. Kai was really cute and handsome. She wanted to tell him that but more than that, she wanted to tell him how much she loves him. But she doesn't have enough courage to tell him for her shyness kicked up again. All of a sudden, Kai muttered something which left Jean in quite a surprise.

"I love you Jean..." He said.

"Huh?" asked Jean, "What did you say?"

"I love you." Kai repeated.

"Kai..."

Her emerald green eyes soften as tears fell from them. Kai loves her... She was so happy.

"I love you too... I love you too." Jean confessed.

Kai, without a doubt, kissed her wholeheartedly. Jean's eyes widened in surprise but she slowly closed her eyes as she felt the warmness flowing into her body.

_Next day_

"Kira, wake up..." Lacus shrugged her boyfriend who was still sleeping soundly. "Kira, please wake up... It's already morning."

The brown-haired boy moaned a bit. He opened his eyes and saw Lacus looking worriedly at him. Kira rubbed his eyes and stretched a bit. He glanced back at his pink-haired girlfriend who seemed to be troubled.

"What's the matter?" Kira asked.

"Did you know that we actually slept together?" Lacus said.

Kira's cheeks flushed immediately. He almost fainted if it weren't for Lacus shaking his whole body. He looked around and came to realize that it wasn't his room at all. He felt so nervous that he couldn't even move. Lacus told him to relax for nothing has happen between them. Kira sighed in relief. Now that she mentioned it, he wondered how he ended up sleeping in her room anyway. Lacus also questioned about that. The last thing they remembered was drinking tea that was offered by Miriallia and then they started to feel drowsy.

"What exactly happened to us?" Lacus asked.

"I have no idea." Kira replied. "Anyway, where are Cagalli and Athrun?"

"I don't know," said Lacus, "Cagalli was supposed to sleep here with me but if she's not here then she could be with..."

"Athrun!" Lacus and Kira simultaneously said.

Both of them quickly went over to the next room. Kira opened the door widely. To his surprise, he saw Athrun in bed together his sister. He clenched his fist hard while his eyes filled with rage. Lacus tried to calm him down but her words wouldn't reach him.

"Cagalli, Athrun!" He yelled.

Instantly, Cagalli and Athrun's eyes opened widely. They saw an angry Kira glaring at them.

"I thought I could entrust my sister to you but I was wrong!" exclaimed Kira who just grabbed Athrun.

Athrun was only wearing his shorts but Kira kicked him outside. He pulled Athrun up and pushed him against the wall. He started choking him with his bare hands. He was seriously going to murder him.

Cagalli immediately put on her bath robe. She approached them and tried to pull Kira away from Athrun. But she ended up being pushed away by her own brother.

"Stop it Kira!" Cagalli pleaded.

Luckily Kai and Shinn happened to pass by and saw this. They went over to them and restrained Kira. Athrun fell to his knees as he gasped for air. Cagalli pulled him into her arms as tears fell from her eyes. She glanced angrily at her brother who was struggling.

"Let me go!" Kira told Kai and Shinn.

"Okay, can somebody tell me what's going on?" Kai asked.

"Hey Yamato," said Shinn, "Calm down!"

"Kira, why are you so mad?" asked Cagalli, "You even did the same thing with Lacus."

Kira stopped to ask about that. "I didn't do anything to Lacus. Nothing happened between us yesterday night."

"He's telling the truth." Lacus said.

"I didn't expect things to turn out this way."

The group turned their head at the familiar voice which belonged to Fllay Alster. She was there, smiling mischievously at them.

_To be continued..._

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JC: Next chapter will be the final one. What's going to happen next? I need reviews so don't forget about them. No flames! Again, I'm reminding everyone about my new fic, Love Fulfilled that's going to be updated when this fic is finished. It's an AsuCaga fic so watch out for it. Preview on it will be on the next chapter. 


	20. Belief in the Heart

JC: Okay, this is the final chapter of High School Life. Miriallia will be playing an important role here. I hope you guys enjoy reading this story. R&R!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed but I own Jean and Kai.

* * *

**High School Life**

_Previously: _

_Because the room was locked, Cagalli had no choice but to sleep in Athrun's room. That night something happened between them and Kira found out the next morning. It made him completely angry that he strangled Athrun. Lacus and Cagalli tried to stop Kira but to no avail he was blinded by his rage. _

_Suddenly Fllay made her appearance..._

"_I didn't expect things to turn out this way..."_

Final Phase: Belief in the Heart

Fllay smiled mischievously at the group who seemed confuse. She let out a small but sinister laugh.

"What's the meaning of this Fllay!" Kira asked her sternly. His fists were clenched as he stared intensely at the red head girl.

"Okay, okay... Hear me out will ya?" said Fllay who just raised her hands up in a form of surrender. "Let's talk in my room." She told them. She directed her sight at the door beside her. She reached for it and slowly opened it. The group glanced around the room. It was indeed spacious, enough for a group of people to party. Fllay seated herself on the couch. "Come on sit..." She pointed at the couch. Lacus seated beside Fllay while Kira forced her sister over to her side. Athrun felt hurt by this but Kira was freaking mad at him. Cagalli wasn't really happy either. Fllay could notice that their mood was so down so she started telling them her little plan.

"I'm sure you guys are going to be mad but here goes..." said Fllay, "Last night, Miriallia served Kira and Lacus tea right?" She glanced at Lacus and then to Kira. The brunette nodded his head. He did remembered drinking tea before he became so sleepy. "Okay Fllay, I'm guessing that you placed something on our beverages." Kira told her. Fllay smiled, "Of course! While Cagalli and Athrun were out, I took the chance of tricking you guys first... So there, Kira and Lacus drank it and fell asleep. After that, I locked the doors to make Cagalli and Athrun think that you two well you get the idea." She was about to finish when Kira stopped her.

"So Cagalli went over to sleep with Athrun and they actually did **that** thanks to your brilliant plan!" Kira yelled over the top of his lungs. To think that his anger for Fllay had disappeared completely, yet it was all coming back to him.

"Well I can't say it was brilliant..." Fllay smirked. She eyed Cagalli naughtily which made the blonde blushed madly. "You had fun with him last night, didn't you?"

"Shut up, Fllay!" Kira told her.

"Excuse me? I already did your sister a favor." Fllay countered back.

Kira and Fllay continued arguing like a couple of children. Even though Kira was in rage, the red head girl didn't seem to be intimidated. She looked so calm. Fllay was used to arguing with her sisters and other people all the time so it's just natural for her. Kira was seriously losing his cool. Cagalli held him back by wrapping her arms around his so tightly. Kira demanded to release him but the blonde didn't budge one bit. Suddenly, tears started flowing out from her eyes. Kira paused as he heard his sister sobbed. He turned around to see his sister crying. Somehow his heart felt like it was going to break.

"Cagalli loves Athrun very much..." said Fllay who just placed a hand of Kira's shoulder.

The brunette turned to Fllay. She had a calm yet cute expression on her face. She was trying to make him understand the whole situation. Fllay did that because she just wanted to strengthen their relationship more. She really didn't anticipate that Kira would run wild. "Note to self... Never provoke Kira ever again..." Fllay thought which made her smile. All of a sudden, Fllay bowed her head and stated her sincerest apology for tricking them like that. "I'm sure you guys are mad at me but I will still say I'm sorry."

"Fllay..." muttered Kira, "no don't be... I just carried away."

"Good!" said Fllay, "You should apologize to Athrun and Cagalli now!"

"I know..." Kira replied. He faced Cagalli with the kind look the he usually has. "I'm sorry, Cagalli."

Cagalli immediately hugged her brother. She gazed at his face with a smile on her lips. "Kira, you're just care for me so much and I understand that perfectly!" said Cagalli.

"Now, apologize to Athrun..." Fllay reminded Kira.

Kira nodded his head. He stared at Athrun for a brief moment. A smile came to his face as he said, "I'm sorry".

The best friend approached the brunette. He patted his shoulders and smirked at him. "You're forgiven." Athrun plainly said.

Surprisingly, Lacus clapped her hands in extreme happiness. She was glad that everything worked out fine. She immediately hugged Kira, at the same time giving him a light kiss on the cheek.

"Lacus," muttered Kira who just blushed.

"When it comes to Cagalli you really get carried away sometimes..." said Lacus. She glanced at Athrun and Cagalli. She grinned at them in a playful manner. "Athrun, I'm sure you went gentle on her." She giggled.

Athrun and Cagalli flushed up instantly. They stared at each momentarily. Both of their faces were so red. Suddenly, they just burst to laughter as they've notice how silly and cute they look while blushing.

"Is everything all right in here?" asked Miriallia who just came in with a tray of cookies and tea.

Fllay nodded her head, "Everything is fine now Miriallia." Fllay walked towards the door. She stopped briefly and glanced at Kira. "He's happy with Lacus now and I should be satisfied with that." She thought. Her eyes almost came to tears. She held it back so she could face them confidently again. She turned around and said, "I'm going to leave you guys now. I have more important things to do. See you later!" In a flash, she went out in a hurry.

For a while, silence came to the room. Everyone was now busy eating the snacks that Miriallia served.

"I love these cookies!" Cagalli said. "Did you make them?" She asked Miriallia.

"Yes, I did." Miriallia replied. "I'm glad you like them."

"I can't help thinking that I've seen you somewhere before." Kira suddenly said while staring curiously at the honey-brown haired girl.

"I seem to recognize you too Yamato but I just can't put my finger on it." Miriallia added.

She glanced at the time. It was time for her cleaning duty again so she needed to rush. "I better go now... Please excuse me..." She said. She opened the door and went out.

"This has been a terrific day... I spent the night with Cagalli and I almost got killed by Kira." Athrun said. "I swear you twins give me a lot of trouble." He joked.

"I'm sorry!" Kira and Cagalli both said at the same time.

Athrun just laughed at them causing their faces to turn light pink. What's more, Cagalli got pissed with him that she actually gave him a punch on the arm.

"What did you do that for?" Athrun asked.

"Shut up..." Cagalli said.

She glanced at him with a calm expression. Her golden brown eyes never ceased to amaze Athrun. Staring into them, made Athrun warm inside. Her eyes held a deep meaning that he clearly understood. He felt the urge to hug her again, and indeed he did so. Cagalli was now in his arms. She could hear the pounding of his heart that was screaming his love for her. Cagalli smiled as she slowly closed her eyes to enjoy the moment.

"They look so cute together," said Lacus who was staring at them.

"I know." Kira replied.

The pink-haired girl leaned her head on Kira's shoulder. She held Kira's hand securely. She moved a bit closer and kissed his cheek. She looked at him with those clear blue eyes that were calm and warm. Her hands made their way around his neck. She took pleasure of staring into his deep purple eyes. She slowly leaned forward and kissed him.

After a while, they broke for air but neither of them took their eyes off of each other.

"You're a bit aggressive today, Lacus." Kira said.

"I guess so..." She giggled.

_Minerva High_

All of the students were gathering at the gym for the entrance ceremony.

Athrun was looking around for Cagalli. He couldn't find her anywhere. He sighed, "I think she's going to be late again."

"Cagalli's not here yet, huh?" asked Kira who suddenly sneaked up behind him.

He shook his head. "I hope she makes it on time." He knew that Cagalli isn't really a morning person so if she's going to be late then he should expect a very cranky Cagalli. He just laughed at the thought of her.

"Athrun!"

A familiar voice called his name which brought a smile on his face. He turned around to see Cagalli approaching him while waving her hand.

"Cagalli, I'm glad you made it." Athrun told her.

"I overslept but mom woke me up." Cagalli said.

Suddenly Kira placed his arm on Cagalli which caused her to bend down a little. Kira had a smirk on his face. He was putting some weight on his arm. Cagalli was having a hard time standing straight. She showed him a pissed look as a warning. Of course Kira wasn't intimidated by this. Instead, he hugged Cagalli with full force.

"Kira!" she yelled. "Let go of me or I'll kill you!"

"I'm your brother so I can hug you whenever I want to." Kira teased.

He had a point there but still it was so embarrassing to be hugged that way. It was just plain weird to do it in public.

"Kira, let go of her before she suffocates." Athrun told his best friend.

Kira noticed that his grip was too tight that caused Cagalli to have a hard time in breathing. He instantly released her. He scratched his head in a goofy manner while apologizing.

"You're going to get it this time, Kira!" Cagalli exclaimed.

"Is that any way to talk to your older brother!" Kira countered.

Cagalli was losing her patience fast. Any more bragging from Kira means that Cagalli had to kill him! But what annoyed her most that Kira said that he was the older one! She couldn't accept that ever!

"Who told you that you're older? It's perfectly clear that I'm older than you." Cagalli added.

"Do you think so?" Kira teased some more.

Lacus and Athrun burst in laughter. A sibling fight is usually seriously among siblings but to others, it just seemed so funny. Like now, Lacus and Athrun were laughing at them. The twins immediately paused. They look at each other in a grumpy manner. Soon, smiles crawled up to their faces and they started laughing.

"Hehe... But I still say that I'm older." Kira continued.

"Who cares... You're twins so does it really matter who's older or younger? I mean both of you were born under the same star, date, and place." Lacus explained.

"You're right." Kira agreed.

_Dominion High_

Stellar was heading towards the gym. When she passed by the girl's changing room, she noticed that the door was slightly open. Curious, she peeped inside to see a girl with short, honey-brown hair.

"She looks familiar." Stellar thought.

Without hesitation, Stellar went right in. She greeted the girl with a simple hello. The girl turned around to reveal her blue-green eyes and innocent look. At that moment, Stellar recognized who she was. It was none other than Miriallia Hawe from the Onsen.

"Hawe?" said Stellar, "What are you doing here?"

"Didn't you know? I'm also a student here." Miriallia replied.

"No... That's strange since I don't see you much around the campus." Stellar said.

"Well as one of the Student Council, I'm always busy with activities." Miriallia told her.

"What section are you?" Stellar asked.

"I'm in Class 1-A."

"Wow! That's the honor class so that means you're very smart!"

"Not really... Well we better go now."

Miriallia stood and approached the door. Before she opened it, she turned to Stellar with a smile.

"From now on, let's be friends okay?" Milly asked Stellar.

Her face lightened up. Her magenta colored eyes were filled with surprise. She briskly nodded her head, meaning that she's fine with that or better yet overjoyed with that.

_Dominion Gym_

Shinn was waiting at the entrance for Stellar. His back was leaned against the door. His eyes wandered around the gym. Constantly, he glanced over at his two friends, Kai and Rey who were having a talk. He smiled at the sight of Kai's blissful face. He found out that he confessed his love for Jean. What's more is that Jean loves him too! Shinn couldn't be happier for his best friend.

"Kai, I never want to see you in a sad state." Shinn thought.

"Shinn!" called Stellar.

The red-eyed boy turned around to see his blonde girl friend with a familiar girl. He looked at her confusingly until he realized that it was Miriallia from the Onsen.

"Stop staring at me like that." Miriallia told him.

"Sorry, but I've never would guessed that you actually go to school here." Shinn replied.

"She's in Class 1-A." Stellar added.

"I see so you must be very smart." Shinn said.

"No, I'm not. I just study hard that's all." Miriallia said.

The teacher went up the stage. He called the student's attention and told them to line up by class. All of the students obediently did so.

_Minerva High, Class 1-D_

Lacus walked up to Kira who seemed to be daydreaming about something. She noticed Kira sighing so much. She was getting worried so she asked him.

"Kira, is something the matter?"

The brunette glanced at his pink-haired girl friend that was looking at him with those crystal blue eyes that were full of concern for him. He just gave her a smile of assurance meaning that he was all right. Although he had to lie for that matter because in his mind, a certain girl troubled his mind.

"Miriallia Hawe," thought Kira, "Who is she anyway? Why do I seem to know her?"

Kira crossed his arms in front him as he tried to remember more about Miriallia. Suddenly, memories of his childhood days flowed into his mind.

**Flashback**

A 7-year old Kira was playing on the slides. He kept going at it until a blue-haired boy came. It was the 7-year old version of Athrun. He greeted the brunette who was up the slides by waving his hand. Kira smiled and went down immediately. He instantly tackled Athrun to the ground.

"Get off, Kira!" Athrun demanded.

They rolled around the sand, getting dirty as usual, but both of them were having fun. They stopped to catch their breath. Kira started laughing all of the sudden.

"What's so funny?" Athrun asked.

"I'm just happy that we're friends. We always have so much fun." Kira replied.

"You're right." Athrun added.

When they stood up, they heard a girl crying. They glanced around the area but not a person was even around. Kira followed the sound, which lead him to the bushes. He scanned the bushes and found a little girl with honey brown-hair. She was sitting beside a tree, her face was buried in her hands and tears flowed down from her eyes. Kira felt sorry for her so he walked up to the girl. He knelt down to her level. He placed his hand on her shoulder. The girl first stared at his hand and then at Kira. Tears were still forming in her blue-green eyes so Kira pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and cleanly wiped her tears away. She was a bit surprised at this. Her face flushed up but she felt happy that someone was comforting her. Even though she didn't know the boy, she didn't hesitate to give him a big hug.

"Thank you!" she said.

His eyes widened in surprise while his cheeks turned red. Unexpectedly, Athrun popped right behind him. He eyed on his best friend with a grin. Kira tried to explain that he was just consoling her but Athrun started teasing him.

"It's not what you think!" Kira said.

"Sure, whatever... You seem to be comfortable in that position." Athrun chuckled.

"Athrun!" Kira yelled.

"Please don't fight..." the girl told them.

She released Kira from her arms. She faced them with a cheerful expression. She showed them a peace sign and introduced herself.

"I'm Miriallia Hawe, but you can call me Milly!" Miriallia said. "Thank you again for cheering me up, purpled-eyed boy..."

"I have a name you know and it's Kira Yamato." Kira said.

"So can I call you Kira?" She asked him.

Kira nodded his head, "Sure! Oh yeah by the way this annoying little brat here is unfortunately my best friend." He pointed his finger at Athrun.

"Excuse me! I'm not annoying at all." Athrun exclaimed.

"Just kidding," told Kira. He looked back at Miriallia. "His name is Athrun Zala but just call him Athrun."

Miriallia smiled widely as she took the boy's hand. "Kira and Athrun... You're my friends from now on right?"

Kira and Athrun looked at each other. Both of them simultaneously nodded their head when they glanced back at the Milly.

"Sure, why not." Kira said.

"Wow! Thank you very much." Milly said.

After a while, Miriallia told the boys why she was crying. It was because some bullies picked on her and even took her doll away. She tried to get her doll back but she ended up getting hurt in the end.

"I want to make them pay," said Milly who just clenched her fist.

Athrun grabbed her hand and slowly brought it down. "Don't worry if you see those bullies again, Kira and I will take care of them."

"That's right... How dare they pick on a cute girl like you?" Kira added.

"You guys are the best." Miriallia giggled a bit. "Hey, want to come over at my place tomorrow?"

"Where do you live?" Athrun asked.

Miriallia pointed at a house beside the playground. "That's my house..."

"Okay, we'll be there by 9 AM." Kira told her.

"I'll be expecting you guys." Miriallia then took off in a hurry. She paused for a brief moment to wave goodbye to her two new friends. "See you!"

**End of flashback**

Kira leaned his head on his right hand. He sighed at the memory of his first meeting with Miriallia. His heart was right, he does know her... Miriallia was a very important friend to him.

"I better tell this to Athrun." Kira thought.

Meanwhile, Cagalli was talking to Stellar through her cell phone. Stellar couldn't help but gossip about Kai's feelings to Jean. Cagalli keenly listened to every word she said. Shortly, their talk shifted to Miriallia Hawe...

"Miriallia Hawe?" Cagalli uttered her name.

Kira heard this. He rudely grabbed the phone from his sister. Thinking that it was Miriallia, he placed the phone beside his ear and said, "Miriallia, I remember now!"

"What are you doing!" asked Cagalli. "I was talking to Stellar!"

"Stellar?" Kira muttered.

"Yeah, this is Stellar but if you want to talk to Hawe then I'll gladly hand the phone to her." Stellar said.

"Please do Loussier..." Kira replied.

Stellar put the phone on hold by pushing a button. She hurriedly ran towards room 1-A, where she found Miriallia quietly reading a book on History. She approached Miriallia and showed her the cell phone. Miriallia stared at her confusingly. Her eyes blinked several times before she said something. Stellar grabbed her hand and gave her the phone.

"Yamato wants to speak with you." Stellar said.

"Yamato?" thought Miriallia. Suddenly, her heart pounded faster. She could feel her hands shaking in uneasiness. "Why do I feel nervous?" She questioned herself, hoping that she could come up with the answer. She sighed as she placed the phone near her ear. "This is Miriallia Hawe..."

"I remember you now!" said Kira. "You're that girl that I found in the playground. You're that girl who cried because some bullies picked on you. You're that girl that I comforted."

Miriallia gasped upon hearing that. Sudden flashbacks of her childhood were pictured in her head. She could see brown-haired boy wiping her tears from her eyes. She could see herself hugging the boy while thanking him. What Kira said was all true... She realized how important Kira was to her before. Kira was a friend. One of her good friends she had when she was still little. She felt so stupid to have forgotten him and also Athrun. Her eyes were close to tears but she stayed strong.

"I can't believe it's really you." Miriallia said. "I'm so glad."

Kira smiled at the sound of her voice. "Why don't we meet after school so we can talk much better?" He suggested.

"Okay, you decide on the place and time," said Milly, "expect me to be there."

Kira told her to meet at the Ice Cream Shop. Milly agreed to that and hung up. Kira sighed in relief. He glanced at his sister who seemed to be still angry at him for taking away her cell phone. Instead of avoiding Cagalli, he suddenly hugged her so tightly.

"Kira, what the hell are you doing!" Cagalli yelled at him.

"I'm just happy that I get to see a friend of mine again." Kira said.

"Let me go!" Cagalli demanded.

"No way," replied Kira, "I'm not letting you go."

"I swear that I'm going to murder you after this." Cagalli threaten.

Athrun, upon seeing the twins, immediately separated them. He grabbed Cagalli so she wouldn't try to pounce on Kira. On the other hand, Kira just laughed out loud. He patted Cagalli on the head and smiled.

"You're so adorable." Kira teased.

"All right that's it... You're going to get it this time." Cagalli tried to reach for her brother but Athrun held her back. "Let go! I want to make this guy pay." She demanded.

Athrun sighed, "I won't let go." Then he looked at the brunette who was grinning. "I heard you talking to Hawe. What was that all about?" Athrun asked.

"It seems that Miriallia Hawe turns out to be our old friend from childhood." Kira told him. "Remember the crying girl from the playground when we were still 7 years old?"

"What!" exclaimed Athrun. "Milly? After all these years... That's great!"

Cagalli raised an eyebrow, giving a "what are you guys talking about?" look... She had no idea who Miriallia was to them but she seemed to be important. All she knew was that Miriallia was the one who tended them at the Onsen and that's all.

_Ice Cream Shop_

Athrun and Kira entered the said place. They saw Miriallia at a table near the window. She was already eating a strawberry flavored ice cream. Her eyes caught sight of the boys at the entrance. She waved her hand to them.

"Come and sit with me." Miriallia said.

The boys took their seat across her. She eyed on her two childhood friends with admiration. She gave out a small laugh and said, "You two have really grown a lot. I never thought that you two would grow to be so handsome."

"Not really..." said Kira who was already blushing.

Miriallia glanced at the blue-haired guy, who had his eyes locked on her. "What's the matter Athrun?" She asked.

Athrun seemed to snap back to reality and quickly shook his head. "I'm just happy to see you again after for so long."

"I know what you mean." Miriallia said.

The friends began thinking back the happy memories they shared when they still kids. Everyday they would go to school together, study together, and play together. They treated each other equally. They promised each other that nobody gets left behind no matter what. They wanted their friendship to last forever but when they turned 10, an unexpected turn of event happened.

**Flashback**

It was a fine Monday morning. Athrun and Kira arrived at Miriallia's house but they found out that nobody was home. They noticed a letter hanging on the door. It was a letter addressed to both of them. Kira grabbed it and started reading it out loud so Athrun could hear.

_Dear Kira and Athrun, _

_I'm moving away. My father got a job in a foreign country so my mother decided that we should move there to be together with my him. I'm so sorry that I wasn't able to tell you personally. I don't want to see you guys sad that's why I wrote this letter. By the time you finish this I already have left. Goodbye guys... _

_Miriallia_

"She's going away! We better go to the airport now." Kira said.

He was about to run but Athrun grabbed him. Kira told him to let go. Athrun wouldn't listen to him.

"Let go!" Kira told him.

He glared at Athrun but to his surprise, Athrun fell to his knees. Tears formed in his emerald green eyes- he couldn't bear the fact that Milly was gone... He cried out loud to release all his sadness and pain. Kira didn't want to cry. He tried his best not to but his heart was too fragile to handle it.

"We didn't even say goodbye to her." Kira sobbed.

"I know... but she didn't want to see us like this..." said Athrun, "That's why..."

"Will she ever come back?" Kira asked.

Athrun shook his head for he was not sure about that. He could just guess that Miriallia was gone for good. Although Kira believed that she would come back someday... He promised in front of Athrun that he will wait for her.

**End of Flashback**

"I was right... You have come back now..." Kira said.

Miriallia lowered her head. She didn't want them to see her tears she shed. Kira's words touched her the most. She waited for her all these years. She always thought of Kira being a good friend and she was right. Kira was a friend that she couldn't forget. She regretted for leaving him without even saying anything. She could have explained things well for him but she had to go leave a letter because she was too afraid to confront her him. She knew that Kira was a crybaby... Athrun could take it but not Kira. She knew that Kira would be hurt so much... She doesn't want to see his sad face. Still, she should have spoken with him. She looked up at her two wonderful friends who were smiling back at her. She could just hug them at that moment but she refrain herself from doing so since both of them had girlfriends now...

"Girl friends?" thought Miriallia... She remembered something very important. "Do you guys still remember the promise I made?"

"Promise... We made a lot of promises before..." Kira said.

"I got it! It's those things." Miriallia exclaimed.

Miriallia gobbled up all her ice cream in an instant. She stood and paid at the counter. She went back to table for Kira and Athrun. Immediately, she pulled Athrun and Kira away.

"Where are you taking us?" Athrun and Kira simultaneously said.

"You'll see." Miriallia replied.

_Clyne Mansion_

Lacus invited Cagalli and Jean over for a slumber party. Once there, she served her two guests some cake, cookies, and sodas. Cagalli was enjoying her time with the food. She couldn't resist sweet things. Jean, on the other hand, was reading a comic she borrowed from Kai. Lacus was arranging Jean's stuff when a picture fell. She looked at the picture of Kai holding Jean. Lacus smiled at this. Jean noticed Lacus holding it. She quickly swiped the picture away. She told Lacus to keep out of her stuff but Lacus smirked at her. It was because of the fact that Jean's face was red.

"It's not what you think!" Jean said.

"You don't have to be embarrassed about that." Lacus said. "I think you and Kai make a cute couple."

Upon hearing the word couple, Cagalli immediately gave Jean a headlock. "You and Kai, huh?" said Cagalli, "Jean, consider yourself lucky since Kai's a real nice guy!"

Jean couldn't answer because Cagalli was squishing her neck.

"Cagalli, let go of her or she'll be killed." Lacus told Cagalli.

The blonde released the red-head girl. "Sorry about that." Cagalli said.

"She's strong..." Jean silently thought.

Lacus helped Jean up and made her sit on her bed. She took a seat right next to her, while Cagalli at her left side.

"We want to know when and how you two got hook up." Cagalli demanded.

Jean felt a little nervous but if they want to know then she had no choice. Besides, Cagalli might wrestle her if she stayed silent about it. She first glanced at the picture of her and Kai. She could feel her cheeks heating up again as she thought of the blue-eyed boy that made her heart ran wild. She held the picture near her heart. At that moment, she saw Kai in mind, telling her that he loves her very much. She slowly closed her eyes to remember her precious time at the Onsen. She remembered it clearly. She glanced at Lacus and then at Cagalli with a cheerful smile on her face. She could tell that they were eager to her story so she stared telling them.

_Playground_

Miriallia brought Kira and Athrun to the old abandoned playground, where they all first met. It sure brought back a lot of happy memories to them. They would always come there to play after school.

"Why did you bring us here?" Athrun asked Milly.

"I made a promise to you guys here." Milly replied.

She walked up to the place where she cried. It was the spot behind the bush and under a tree. She leaned her head on the tree. She could still sense the warm feeling that she first had when Kira comforted her. It was still present at that place. She turned to her friends with a calm expression.

"The promise I made..." started Milly, "lies under here." She pointed at the ground.

"What do you mean?" Kira asked. "Do we have to dig?"

"Yup!" Milly replied.

Athrun grabbed a shovel near the construction area. He started digging at the said place. He made a shallow hole, in which a small box was revealed. Miriallia grabbed the box and caressed it in her arms.

"What is that?" Athrun asked.

"You guys don't remember do you...?" Milly said.

Miriallia sighed. She was hoping that Kira and Athrun would remember that promise. She figured that the only thing to knock some senses into them was to show them the contents of the boxes. She placed the box down. Slowly, she lifted the cover. Athrun and Kira could see something glittering from inside. They took a closer look and found out that there were two pairs of silver pendants.

"I remember now." Kira exclaimed. "You gave us these pendants."

"When you've found your true love, open this box and gave these pendants to the girl you desire." Miriallia said.

"I'm sorry that we've forgotten all about it." Athrun told Milly.

"It's okay... I promise that these pendants will be yours if you two found the girls you love." Milly explained. She gave on pair of pendant to Athrun. "You give this to Athha." Then she gave the other one to Kira. "You give this to Clyne."

Kira and Athrun smiled, "Thank you Milly."

"No problem..." Milly replied.

_Next day_

Athrun was driving his car to the beach with the blonde girl seated right next to him. Cagalli was staring outside while her mind drifted. She felt relaxed as the cool wind blew pass her face. Athrun kept taking short glances at his girlfriend. He smiled at the sight of her cheerful expression. He turned his eyes back at the road. The beach came into a sight which excited Cagalli. Athrun pulled over when they reached the place. Cagalli immediately got off the car. She removed her slippers and ran through the water. She waved at Athrun, inviting him to join her. Athrun grabbed his camera and started taking pictures of his girl friend.

"You look good, Cagalli." Athrun said.

"Can you please stop taking pictures of me?" Cagalli told him. "Join me!"

He shook his head and sat on the sand. "I have something to show you Cagalli."

Curious about it, Cagalli went to him. She sat down right next to him. Suddenly she was pulled into a hug. Athrun was doing it again... Making her blush like crazy but she always liked being close to Athrun like that. As they parted, their eyes met. Athrun brushed away some strands of hair away from her eyes. He touched her cheek that was so red. Athrun felt his heart pounding louder and louder. Cagalli held his hand as she closed her eyes while feeling the warmth of his love. Athrun realized that it was a perfect time to give her the pendant. His other hand reached for it in his pocket. He started trembling. Cagalli noticed his hand turning cold. She looked at him but at that time Athrun held up the pendant in front of her.

"What is this?" Cagalli asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" replied Athrun, "It's a pendant."

"I know what it is. What I meant was is that for me?" Cagalli said.

"Of course..." Athrun replied.

The pendant was in a form of a heart. Athrun broke the heart into two. He wore the other half around his neck. Then, he hung the other half around Cagalli's neck.

"It's beautiful... Thank you." Cagalli said.

"This pendant is a sign of our eternal love for each other." Athrun told her.

"Athrun..." She hugged Athrun.

"Don't lose that pendant okay?"

"I'm going to kill myself if I do..."

"Cagalli... I love you." He whispered into her ear.

"I love you too." She replied.

They faced each other again. With a gentle pull by Athrun, Cagalli's lips were pressed unto his. She closed her eyes as she held the pendant in her hand.

_Clyne Mansion_

Lacus was standing gazing at the stars by her window while singing 'In the Quiet Night'. The stars reminded her of Cagalli so much. Of course Cagalli was her best friend who seemed to brighten every moment of her life. The best part is that because of Cagalli, she met Kira.

"Kira... I wonder what you're doing right now." Lacus thought.

Suddenly a mechanical bird flew to her. It perched on her finger. Lacus recognized it to be Tori, Kira's robot pet bird. She also noticed that it was carrying something in its beak. It was a pendant.

"My, what a wonderful pendant," thought Lacus, "Did Kira..."

She glanced outside to see Kira standing in front of her mansion. He was smiling at her. She took the pendant from Tori and examined it carefully. She looked back at Kira and noticed that he was wearing one too. She quickly wore it around her neck. It looked beautiful on her.

"Thank you!" She said.

She immediately went out to meet him. When she opened the gates, she hugged Kira right away.

"Lacus..." Kira muttered.

They've face each other with warm smiles. Lacus placed her hands on his chest. She could feel the loud beating of his heart. She gradually leaned forward and kissed him.

At that moment, Cagalli and Athrun happened to pass by. Cagalli giggled at the sight of the two.

"Ah, they look so sweet." Cagalli said.

Kira and Lacus parted. By that time they noticed Cagalli and Athrun standing across the street.

"Oh my, it seems that they saw us kissed." Lacus said.

"Hey you two!" yelled Kira, "Don't you know that it's rude to stare."

Cagalli and Athrun approached them. The blonde patted Kira's back hard that made him coughed. Kira grabbed hold of her hand and eyed on her angrily. Cagalli gave him a grin. She reached for his shirt and pulled it upwards. Then she started tickling him.

Kira laughed hard, "Stop it... Ha-ha... Stop..."

But Cagalli wanted to make him suffer more so she had no desire to stop. Athrun decided to pull her away from Kira before things could get worse. He knew how the twins fought so he tried avoiding that.

"Thanks." Kira told Athrun.

Cagalli got away from Athrun and went over to Lacus. She smiled at her pink-haired friend who was staring at Kira. She noticed that Lacus was wearing a pendant around her neck.

"Did Kira give that?" Cagalli pointed at the said item.

Lacus nodded. "Yes," she said. "I believe that Athrun gave that as well." She glanced at Cagalli's pendant.

"Yeah... I think it's sweet for the boys to do this for us." Cagalli said.

"I agree. I'm so glad to have met them." Lacus added.

"I know what you mean." Cagalli said. "A lot has happen which include me, meeting my brother... You hitting off with Kira and me with Athrun... We met so many friends... Fllay Alster has changed and... And..."

"Let's just say that a lot of wonderful things have come to us." Lacus told her.

"You're right." Cagalli giggled.

Unexpectedly, the girls were suddenly hugged by their boyfriends.

"Athrun?"

"Kira?"

Lacus and Cagalli muttered their names. Their cheeks burned in crimson red as their hearts screamed their love for them. It was a wonderful feeling. After a while they released the girls... It was getting late so they had to go home now. Before they took off, the group bid each other good night.

As they went their separate ways, they thought of the days to come in their life. From the day they all met, it was the start of a wonderful friendship and the start of their love. They would never have guessed the high school could be so fun for them.

**End of High School Life**

* * *

JC: That's the end of this fic. So how do you guys find it? I hope I get good reviews from this. No flaming please because I will just ignore them. Thank you for those who have reviewed! Check out the preview of my new fic.

_Preview: Love Fulfilled _

_Phase 01: The New Bodyguard_

_She was the princess of ORB, the blonde, stubborn girl who could be so selfless most of the times. No matter how tough she acted, her girlish charms would always come out. Whenever she wears an elegant dress, she always managed to make the boys drool in admiration. Her golden brown eyes that shimmered in the bright light were full of sincerity and courage. Nonetheless, she was the girl of his dreams, the girl that he always wanted and cherished deeply in his heart. She was the girl that Athrun Zala desired so much and she goes by the name of Cagalli Yula Athha. _

JC: This is an AsuCaga fic so fans better watch out for this...


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